Hidden From Hope
by 1Glimmershine
Summary: The last 16 ultimates of the world, that have yet to perish during the 2nd tragedy or become corrupted by despair, have been taken to an underground facility for their protection until the tragedy ends and all roots of despair are taken care of. Unbeknownst to them, they were only heading to their fates in the grip of despair.
1. Prologue: Nowhere to Hide pt 1

**AN: This is going to be an AU story. Although, there will be some things that are canon that exist. This is also the prequel to my other story "Salvation Within Retribution" which is part of what will now be a trilogy. This being the first in the series.**

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 **AN2: The cast will be only my OCs this time around. I know that most people never care about stories featuring only OCs from the author, at least in this community that's how it is, but that won't stop me maybe. Enough of my rambling, let's get on to the story which I hope everyone enjoys!**

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 **AN3: All thoughts will be in italics outside of speech.**

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 _Well, here I am, standing in front of what I am supposed to live in until the second tragedy ends. To be frank, I don't even understand why the Future Foundation would want to protect me. I did reject that letter of invitation for Hope's Peak Academy after all. Am I really that important? I certainly never thought that to be the case. The people of the world may consider me the ultimate novelist, but they always seem to never care about the man behind the novels I write. I include my bio and everything, but just about nobody reads those. Heck, I never even read them, so that makes me a hypocrite. The point is, they always want me to keep writing and to never stop. Why is it that I have to do that? The whole idea of ultimates got into everyone's heads once Hope's Peak Academy came into existence, and now anyone who's absurdly good at one thing is given the title and are asked to only have to do said thing for the rest of their life. Then it all went to hell, and now I'm here, hoping that I can just rest easy until everything is "taken care of" because now thanks to my title, I'm being targeted by the remnants of despair as they're called._

I take a moment to take a final look of the outside world. Aside from the large metal vault door embedded in the small mountain in front of me, everything is quite beautiful. A definite juxtaposition to how the rest of the world looks. There are many large and smaller trees with orange and yellow leaves surrounding the area. Leaves also cover the ground, and the yellow grass is quite short. I could hear birds chirping in the distance, and a obnoxious cricket. I really do find the crickets annoying, because I swear that you can never find them and shut them up.

"Are you just going to stand there?" a gruff voice asked, interrupting my thoughts. "The vault doesn't open up via staring intently at it."

I looked to my left to see a slightly taller man, I'm 5'7" by the way. He has a stocky and very muscular build, and a beige skin tone. He has long dark gray hair, that is tied into a ponytail that hangs behind his head. He also has 4 light gray, wide lines of hair reaching just to his ponytail. His eyebrows are dark gray, and are hard angled. He also has dark gray sideburns, that reach to his jawline, and point outwards to his nose. Overall, his face is very sharp and defined, with a big, slightly pointed nose, medium sized, mid-set ears, and a strong and sharp jawline, with a pointed chin, and deep blue, sharp eyes that look very wary. His clothing consists of a pure white, unbuttoned trench coat with a cyan trim, a chocolate colored loose fitting tank top, pure white uniform pants, and black military style boots. He is wearing one white leather glove on his right hand, while the other is wrapped in mottled bandages. His golden sheriffs badge glimmered in the light as it sat upon the right shoulder of his coat, with his name imprinted underneath it

" _Sozen Motozawa"_

I did recognize that name, this man is the Ultimate Sheriff, responsible for catching many of this world's worst criminals. He always does it so flawlessly as well, at least that's what all the media says. That said, I do feel honored to be in his presence, and much more safe.

* * *

 **-Sozen Motozawa: Ultimate Sheriff-**

* * *

"Don't mind me, I'm just gathering my thoughts and taking one last look at nature before being sealed underground for who knows how long," I respond with a relaxed sigh. "I do know that it requires a password entry to open, I got the password like everyone else."

"Well, I can understand that sentiment, at first I thought you just needed help opening the door. it's important to take in what you won't see for a long time while you still can," He said as he walked towards the keypad on the vault doors. He pressed the numbers 49034 and the doors made a clicking noise, then they spun around till the crease lined up vertically and began to slowly open up. They were quite noisy, as they sounded like two boulders being dragged across metal.

"So Sozen…" I started, struggling to think of what to say next, I bit the bottom of my lip for a second. "What do you think of all this? I personally am glad that there's people out there that care about our well being, and I just want to get this over with as soon as possible. At the very least, I can still write to take my mind off of everything."

"I also think that it's great that we are being given protection like this," he said with a shrug, but then his face turned grim. "Except I can't help but think we don't know what we're in for…"

"As in, in for bad things or good things?"

"To be front, bad things," He stated firmly, crossing his arms. "I know that the Future Foundation has everyone's best interests in mind, but in the past, anything involving ultimates being brought together ends up going to shit."

 _'I certainly can't doubt his suspicions, as that has in fact, been the case most of the time. Both with Hope's Peak Academy itself, and those precarious killing games I've heard about.'_

The doors made a loud *Clunk!* sound as they opened all the way, allowing the warm air to flow freely. Some leaves were blown through the doors by a cold rush of air from outside.

"Well, it's either stay out here in the cold, or into a relaxing, warm environment," I commented as I headed inside. "I'd much rather risk it in here than out there."

Sozen gazed into the room that had revealed itself to him, he seemed reluctant, but he eventually stepped inside as well. The room was pretty empty, the only thing in here was the vault doors, elevator doors with windows in front of us. The walls and floors were all made of steel, and had a bluish tint to them. A moment later, I heard the vault doors begin to close behind us, sealing us within this underground facility.

I walked up to the elevator doors, and they opened once I got close. The elevator was quite clean, and matched the room we were currently in.

"You may take the first step," I said to Sozen, gesturing my arms out towards the elevator. It's only polite, and why not treat someone like the ultimate sheriff nicely.

He rolled his eyes and walked on in, and I followed soon after. He pressed the only button in the elevator, and we began to descend. We stood in silence, and I decided to stare into my reflection in the window. I did dress quite nicely, because I wanted to look presentable to the other ultimates, and whoever else works here.

I have an average build and skin tone. I have neatly combed dark blue hair that reaches just past my ears on all sides. My eyebrows match the color of my hair, and are nicely trimmed. I have a heart-shaped head, average ears, thin, slightly pointed nose, and pale blue thin-almond shaped eyes. I'm wearing a clean black dress shirt and buttoned it up fully to support the graceful golden yellow bow tie I'm wearing. On top of the shirt I'm wearing a dark blue chic vest with 5 golden yellow buttons, it has a fairly deep v-line, which causes the vest to line up perfectly with the jacket's v-line when it's button up. The jacket is a perfectly tailored fit for me. It has a simple, but elegant blanket plaid pattern, giving the suit a dignified and elegant look. The 5 buttons of my single breasted jacket have been left unbuttoned, it's a casual look which still manages to look classy. The jacket is the same length all around, it has no vent, there's a pocket on either side and there's a breast pocket which contains a stylish pocket square. I'm wearing pants which copy the style of the jacket, both in color and pattern and they create a perfect balance with my shoes. I'm wearing a lavish pair of black split toe bluchers. To top it all off I'm wearing a trendy black belt, which can be accompanied by a silver watch and a golden yellow scarf wrapped around my neck, reaching the center of my back.

"I'm Omezo Miyasaki the Ultimate Novelist by the way," I said, holding my left arm out for a handshake.

"I was wondering when you'd introduce yourself," Sozen said as he gave me the firmest of all handshakes. "I think you've already figured out who I am right?"

I gave a quick nod. "Yeah, Sozen Motozawa, the ultimate sheriff. Your name does pop up a lot, and your badge gave it away as well," I pointed to his badge.

"Good to know that you can read, most people seem to disregard the name tag entirely," he said with a grin.

The elevator soon reached a stop, and the doors slid open. The first thing I saw was a girl waving hello to us. She was quite smaller than me. She has a slightly thinner than average form, got quite generous curves, probably D's for breasts, and warm ivory colored skin. She has medium length, messy, unkempt forest green hair that almost looks like vines growing out of her head, and forest green, ragged eyebrows. Her hair also had a large, extravagant pink and white flower in it. Her face looks pretty average, with a normal sized soft nose, medium, mid-set ears, and monolid eyes that match her hair. Her clothing consists of a split sleeve, seafoam green shirt, a dark green asymmetrical skirt, knee high, seafoam green socks, and dark green moccasins. Looking closer, her skirt has many images of different animals depicted on it, ranging from mammals, reptiles, avians, insects, arachnids, and marine wildlife. Not every animal was present, but the more common ones were, with a few exotic ones here and there.

She was standing in a two person wide hallway, with three doors, one in the back, one on either of the walls. The metal door on the right was colored white, while the other two were a cool blue. I could see a vertical crease in all of them, most likely meaning that they slide open that way.

"Hello there you two!" she cheerfully said. "So that's makes sixteen, meaning no more will arrive."

 _'_ _Sixteen then? Is that really all the ultimates left right now? I can see why the Future Foundation deemed our situation more dire than I thought._ _'_

"How late were we to the party?" Sozen questioned, crossing his arms.

"Only about 10 minutes since the last person arrived," she answered putting a finger to her cheek with a smile. "Soooooo! who are you two?"

"I'm Sozen Motozawa, the Ultimate Sheriff," Sozen said, pointing to his badge. "This here is Omezo Miyasaki, the Ultimate Novelist."

I raised my hand in a quick hello. "I could've introduced myself, but yeah that's who I am."

"And I'm Erena Takagi, the Ultimate Biologist! Lover and studier of all life on earth!" She announced happily. " _And in space._ "

* * *

 **-Erena Takagi: Ultimate Biologist-**

* * *

"There's life in space to study?" I gave her a quizzical look.

"No," she replied curtly, furrowing her brow. "But if there was or ever is, I would be studying it. That's the point I was trying to get across."

"Right..." I said with a shrug.

 _Why do I find myself believing that she actually does think life exists out there? Not that I'm a skeptic or anything._

"I think it's time I try to find the people that should be working here," Sozen said as he walked through the doorway on the left.

 _'_ _Now that he mentioned it, I'm surprised that no personnel was here to welcome us..._ _'_

"Wait! There's actually no-" Erena tried getting his attention. "Aaaannnnd he's gone. Oh well."

"Were you about to say that there's nobody but us ultimates here?" I asked, my eyes looking off to the left.

"Oooo, perceptive aren't you? That is exactly what I was going to say," she responded, with smile while clasping her hand together. "Can you guess what my favorite animal is?"

"Ummm, is it a panther?" I responded, taking a wild guess, as there's really no way to tell just by looking at her, since she has many different pictures of animals on her shirt.

"Errrrrrrrr!" she said, imitating a buzzer while giving me a thumbs down. "It was a trick question, as I love them all the same."

She gave a joyful laugh, and I awkwardly laughed with her. "Yeah, you sure got me there…" I said uncomfortably.

 _'_ _Quite the quirky one isn't she, a bit too much so. I am a stranger after all. Is she like this with everyone?_ _'_

"Hehehe, wooo, hehe!" she continued to laugh, while slapping her knee.

"It wasn't really that funny you know? It was just a simple trick."

"You only say that because you were the one tricked," she teased with her hands on her hips. "I thought the answer was quite obvious. That made it so much more funny."

"Yeah, I'm not really the best when to comes to trick question, and I'll give you the benefit of the doubt her," I admitted scratching the back of my neck.

"Oh, I am totally going to have so much fun down here with the rest of you people!" she said joyfully, another laugh escaping her lips.

"I'm sure you will, but I'm going to go meet the others now," I told her as I waved goodbye, leaving through the same door Sozen left through. I could still hear Erena laughing as I left.

"Man, he's so awkward, it's hilarious!" she loudly said to herself as if no one could hear her.

 _'_ _Yeah, quite quirky indeed, but I suppose we need someone like that down here even if my brain can't handle them. She did say that that there was nobody but us ultimates here, which is… Worrying to say the least._ _'_

* * *

 **-Lounge-**

I entered what I presumed to be the lounge, it had a large screen imitating a fireplace, from a distance it did look real, with furniture surrounding it, two white armchairs, and a red couch. There was a lone ceiling light in the center of the ceiling, a bar with many wooden stools around it, and two medium sized tables, with four tall metal chairs with a single white cushion around each of them. There was also a pool table shoved in the back right corner of the room. The room had the same metal walls as everything else, but the floor had a black carpet over it this time. There was only one other door in here in the right wall.

I noticed a man sitting down in one of the armchairs, sipping away at some tea. From here I could tell how flamboyant he was because of his clothing.

"Hello there sir sitting in the armchair," I said semi-loudly.

He cranked his head around in the chair to look at me and stood up, putting his tea down on the coffee table in front of the couch. It now occurred to me how effeminate this man looked. He wasn't too much taller than me. He has soft and smooth looking skin, a slim build, with slight curves, and a chestnut skin tone. His fuchsia hair is quite long, reaching just below his upper back, while he has a long cowlick that is pure white swept and curled to the left, and looks quite fluffy, sparkly, and practically was glowing. Overall, his face looks very sophisticated, with a petite nose, small, mid-set ears, prominent cheekbones, thin fuchsia eyebrows, and almond shaped, blue-violet eyes. He is also wearing a lot of makeup, with black eyeliner and mascara, faded, lavender eyeshadow, barely noticeable blush, violet lipstick, and some sort of vine-like pattern is painted in violet from the left side of his neck up to his left cheek, and small white roses bloom from the vines. His clothing consists of a fuchsia single breasted tailcoat with a matching fluffy boa, worn over a pure white dress shirt, violet bell bottoms, and white pointy dress shoes that look like they've just been polished, and black socks. He was also wearing a single earring that looked like a ruby sun hanging from his left ear, a silver belt with a sparkling fuchsia star featured prominently on the front of the belt.

"Ah, A newcomer to this underground place of beauty I see," he said sounding mesmerized, looking me up and down. "One with a good taste in fashion as well, though you could use a little more…" he uses his right hand to circle around his head, "up here. No matter though, as I am Arishige Hashiba, the Ultimate Cosmetologist, and I'll have you looking unique and absolutely fabulous in no time!"

* * *

 **-Arishige Hashiba: Ultimate Cosmetologist-**

* * *

"Or you would be if I wanted any cosmetics, which I don't by the way. Makeup makes my face uncomfortable," I say putting my hands up as if to say 'back away.'

 _'_ _To be front, I lied, only because I didn't want to offend him by saying how much I disapprove of cosmetics on myself._ _'_

"There's a product to solve such issues though! Isn't that fantastic! Such amazing inventions people can come up with these days," he said with a smirk. "I would like to know who you're though."

"I'm Omezo Miyasaki the Ultimate Novelist, and It's still no, Arishige, not that I doubt your abilities, I just don't like to use cosmetics that much," I reaffirmed. "That said, I never thought so much cosmetics would ever look good on a guy, but here you are."

"Oh yes! I do have such a glorious makeover don't I?" he said with a arrogant tone while cockily pointing to himself. "You could too if you just shed any doubt you have for the power of cosmetics on yourself."

 _'_ _He's like a walking advertisement for his own business. Except there's no changing the channels with a live person._ _'_

"I probably could, but have no interest in experimenting right now, as I have other people to meet and greet," I said, pointing to the door behind me with my thumb.

"Meeting new people is also such a grandiose thing as well, so much so that even the creepy gals behind you were interested in speaking with you!" he exclaimed, sitting back down in the armchair. "After you're through with them, we establish an appointment for you! After all, you didn't say that you had _completely_ no interest in cosmetics! Besides, you could always try cologne or perfume."

 _'_ _Great, Not only are there apparently creepy girls behind me, but he also still insists on freaking convincing me to try his cosmetics, despite the fact that I showed absolutely no interest._ _'_ *sigh*

I swiveled around to come face to face with two girls that looked exactly the same as each other. I jumped back a little as both of their noses were very close to mine. They weren't that much smaller than me. They had a petite form, with soft skin that hides their decent muscles. have ample breasts, but are quite curvaceous on the lower half, and have ghostly white skin. Their hair is long, reaching to their waists, and is styled in quite a unique way, it's a combination of jet black and magenta, but there's more black than magenta, with a straight fringe on the forehead, two black leather bands hold together many long strands of hair extending from the sides of their head in a double ponytail-esque fashion, there are five braids that create a swirl pattern of magenta and jet black, two in the front off to the sides of their face, one in the back, and the final two are mixed in with the ponytails, the rest of the hair is completely straight, but it looks as if it's just a bunch of leather strands sticking out of their head. The light seems to make their hair shine with how much gel that has been put into it. They have jet black, well trimmed eyebrows, that give their expression a sultry look. Their faces are well defined, yet soft at the same time, with small pointed noses, small mid-set ears, slim, defined jaw lines with rounded chins, and magenta, oval shaped, upturned eyes. They have black eyeliner and magenta lipstick on. Their clothing consists a tight fitting black jacket, underneath it, a black and white blouse, a black double layered knee-length skirt, with the magenta inner layer being longer, lacy thigh high black leggings, and black bondage boots. They are also wearing large magenta bows upon their chests, and a black corset. The only thing that deviated them apart is that one of them has mini angel wings, and the other has mini bat wings.

"Hello, we are the Ultimate Twins, Rikako & Shuuyo Tsuchida," They said at the same exact time in a off putting voice while curtsying. "Who might you be morsel?"

* * *

 **-Rikako & Shuuyo Tsuchida: Ultimate Twins-**

* * *

 _'_ _Morsel, that's what they decide to call me? Why are so many ultimates weird like that?_ _'_

"I am Omezo Miyasaki the Ultimate Novelist," I answered. "You don't mind telling me which one of you is who right?

"This is Shuuyo, the estranged archangel," the one with the angel wings proclaimed, posing with her right leg out and her left hand to her heart.

"And this is Rikako, the dastardly demon," the one with the demon wings announced, posing with her arms crossed, her left hand holding her fingers out straight, and her right hand with her fingers curling.

"I'll keep that in mind hopefully," I told them with a uncomfortable smile.

"Oh, I think he's afraid sis…" Shuuyo said into her sister's ear.

"Awww… He sure is sis."

"Like a deer in headlights," they said together in a monotone voice. "It's always the same reaction with everyone."

"I'm not that scared, just uncomfortable, that's all," I defended, curling my fingers. "I just wasn't expecting to see two sisters who are basically the same person down here."

 _'A_ _nd I'm pretty sure you two are purposely freaking everyone out._ _'_

"If we weren't the same person," Rikako started, staring into her sister's eyes.

"Then our talent doesn't exist… and that would be unfortunate for us," Shuuyo finished, closing her eyes while holding her and her sister's hands to her chest.

"But you're going to have to deal with us for the rest of your time here, so we do so hope you be willing and comfortable around us hmhmhmhmhmhmhm~" they said as they put their pointer fingers under my chin. I just scrunched up my face until they stopped touching me. The way their laugh resonated between the two of them just sends chills up my spine.

"I think it's time I move on to other people now," I quickly said. I wanted to get out of this room as soon as possible. "Be sure to distract Arishige while I'm gone."

 _'_ _I didn't want to have to deal with him trying to get me into a meeting with him after all._ _'_

"Oh, we will have a grand time pushing him around…" they said emotionlessly as they strutted over to where Arishige was sitting. They began to stroke his fluffy white hair.

As I walked through the door, I heard Arishige yelp in surprise. I let out a short laugh.

* * *

 **-Cafeteria-**

This place was obviously the cafeteria, as it looked just like any old cafeteria. It was quite large, and had a tall ceiling. There were four large rectangular tables, with metal chairs accompanying each side of the table. There was two double doors on the wall in directly in front of me, and another door on the right wall. The kitchen was located on the left. The walls were just like the rest of the places, but the floor was made of ceramic tiles, creating diamond pattern of black and dark blue tiles, it was even absolutely spotless. I could also sense the smell of turkey coming from the kitchen.

I went up to the kitchen to check out the smell. There was currently salad, turkey, and muffins in different trays. I could also see all the condiments anyone would need at the end of the table of food.

 _'_ _Pretty good options I'd say, at least they left food for despite the fact that nobody but us ultimates are here right now. Unless one of us made the food, then I'd be taking my gratitude back._ _'_

I took one of the gray trays sitting next to me on the metal table. I took some salad, one piece of juicy turkey, and a muffin and place it all on my tray. I reached the end of the table and poured myself some water in a plastic cup. I normally like my salads plain so I ignored the salad dressings. I placed my tray down to grab a packet of butter for my muffin, but I accidentally bumped my tray.

"Oh shoot!" I shouted as I slammed the tray back down on the table only to fling the muffin, turkey, and some of the salad in the air.

 _'_ _Great, bad luck already. At least the floor is clean._ _'_

I heard someone yell "I gotcha!" then I saw a man in a teal jumpsuit swiftly catch the muffin from the air, catch each of the salad leaves in a large white bowl, and then make a final dive for the turkey just before it hit the ground. He had landed at my feet, holding everything in his hands, with a unsure smile on his face.

 _'_ _Wasn't expecting that display of swiftness in such a short amount of time from some random individual. Where did he even come from?_ _'_

"You're lucky I was here to save your food from a nasty fate, heh," He said, handing me the food, still laying on the floor. I took this moment to observe him, with a confused and surprised look on my face. "I almost didn't notice it since I was in the kitchen arranging the freezer. I came out at the right time though."

He was quite a bit shorter than me, but not to the extent of Erena's height. He has a feeble build, and has a pale complexion. He has medium length, curly cherry red locks, and s shaped cherry red eyebrows. Overall, his face has soft and weak looking features, with a small, rounded nose, small high-set ears, a weak jawline, big forehead, and gray hooded, downturned, brown eyes. He is wearing two gold studded earrings in each of his ears. He is wearing a modified teal jumpsuit, as the sleeves only reached his elbows, has what looked like soap bubbles rising up from the legs of the suit. He is wearing dark brown boots, a gold pinky ring on his right hand, a chain necklace with a actual bar of rose pink soap as the pendant. He also has a utility belt with many small cleaning utensils hooked to it, is wearing a teal cadet style cap with the bill pointing slightly to the left, and he is currently holding a mop in his right hand.

I reached my hand out to him, and he grasped it as I helped him up.

"Thanks for the assist!" he said to me, brushing of his clothes with a hand, whilst checking his entire body. "Name's Noritoshi Sugiyama! the Ultimate Janitor, or better known as the "Cleanliness Hero!" He turns his back to me and points over his shoulders with both of his hands to the image on the back of his jumpsuit of him holding a wet mop like it was a spear with the name "Cleanliness Hero" underneath it in yellow. "But you can just call me Norito if you'd like." Then he held out his hand with pleasant smile.

* * *

 **-Noritoshi Sugiyama: Ultimate Janitor-**

* * *

I give his hand a casual shake. "I don't have as 'grand' of a title as you have, but I'm Omezo Miyasaki, the Ultimate Novelist," I greeted, giving him a somewhat genuine smile. Not that I don't like him, he's already one of the better people I've met, simply because he's chipper, and hasn't annoyed me yet.

"Oh I don't care about titles or how famous you are, as long as you're nice, hygienic, and responsible you're a likable person in my books!" He mentioned, giving me an approving thumbs up. "And you seem like that type of person."

 _'_ _He's not wrong, I do tend to be more nice, I do like to keep my hygiene in check, and I clean up after myself. Although, I don't think those three things make a great person, but I guess it doesn't take much for some people._ _'_

"Thanks for recovering my food by the way. Although, I don't think it really mattered considering how shiny the floor is," I said, showing my gratitude.

"I know that it may _look_ clean, but there's still leftover chemicals from my recent cleaning of it, and we wouldn't want food covered in that going into your stomach, possibly killing you now would we?" he stated, grabbing the tip of his hat with his right hand. "Even what I use to kill bacteria and the like are just as dangerous as the little germs themselves."

"Did you use bleach or something? Because I doubt a little soap would kill me," I asked, unsure of why he was making such a big deal of it.

"No, I didn't use any bleach, just soap and water, but it could've affected the taste of your food making your first meal here not as great as it would have been. That's terrible in of itself!" He exclaimed, shaking his head with a smile.

 _'_ _I suppose he has a point, but I doubt the taste of soap is that overwhelming. That and I think the floor is quite dry at the moment._ _'_

"You certainly take the well being of others seriously, guess that's why you call yourself a hero of sorts," I commented, scratching my hair. "But, did you seriously clean all of this yourself?"

 _'_ _I can only wonder when he arrived here and what time he had to do that._ _'_

"Well, someone here has to do the dirty work and purge this place of scum! Who better, but me for the job? And my work here extends the entirety of what we have access to," he announced proudly, puffing his chest out. "I even did it in a hour tops!"

"That fast?" I questioned, raising a brow.

"It's really not that impressive, considering that we don't even have access to many rooms right now," He responded with a shrug.

 _'_ _Why would that be? It probably has to do with the reason no workers are here. Maybe they're just preparing the other rooms._ _'_

"It's appreciated though. With you, things may be a bit more enjoyable down here," I told him, giving him a real smile.

"Heh, all in a day's work!" he exclaimed, spinning his mop around like a baton. "Whoops!" he suddenly fumbled it and dropped it to the floor with a clang. He looked down at it for a moment with a embarrassed look on his face. Then quickly scooped it back up, looking back at me. "That didn't happen."

"Riiigggttt." I made a zipping motion across my lips with my left hand. "What happened again?"

"This guy gets it!" he said with a laugh. "Well, I got to hit the toilets now, be seeing you!"

He then strode towards the farthest door away from us.

 _'_ _Norito is thankfully someone I can deal with down here, and he'll be quite helpful too. A little hyper sure, but tolerable. Hopefully, the rest of the ultimates are tolerable and comfortable to be around. Guess I should eat my recently rescued food now._ _'_

I took my food to one of the tables, sat down, and then noticed a cheerful looking girl enter the cafeteria and sit down next to me.

She's about a couple inches shorter than me, is pretty skinny, has prodigious breasts, you can tell she still has some strength in her arms, and has slightly pale skin. Her long bleached white hair is styled in triple braids, each braid is a different color, from left to right it's pasty green, sky blue, and sunflower yellow. Each band is tied together at the base by three different types of musical notes, a quarter, eighth, and sixteenth note. Overall, her face is aristocratic, with a slightly larger, refined nose, medium, low-set ears, soft jawline, with chin with the barest amount of point to it, and light brown, deep set eyes. She wears a maroon dress that covers just one of her shoulders, leaves the other uncovered and flows down into a graceful draped neckline. It's a close fit which makes the dress look comfortable, yet elegant and stylish. Her arms have been left uncovered. The dress' waist is wide, but it's a slim fit. An elastic band within the dress perfectly accentuates her waist and breaks up the dress nicely. Below the waist the dress widens and has several asymmetric layers from top to bottom. The dress reaches to just below her knees and is longer at the sides. She's wearing cone heels, a strange, yet seemingly perfect choice. She's also wearing a lavish necklace and an opulent bracelet.

 _'_ _So it looks like I'm not the only one dressed for the occasion, not that it really matters. I can't help but feel like I recognize her from somewhere. I know that I should be thinking that with every ultimate I meet here, but I normally don't pay attention to the outside world that much. I only really know of a few ultimates, Sozen being one of them._ _'_

"Ah, so you must be Omezo, Norito told me you had arrived after I left the bathroom," the girl said in a soothing and elegant voice.

"Yes, I am Omezo Miyasaki, the Ultimate Novelist," I confirmed taking a bite of my turkey. "And you are?"

"I'm Sukey Ejiri, the Ultimate Band Director, and it's quite nice to meet you Omezo," she said in a friendly tone with a warm smile.

 _'_ _Now I know why I recognized her._ _'_

* * *

 **-Sukey Ejiri: Ultimate Band Director-**

* * *

"On the occasion I've actually listened to your band before while I wrote my novels... I can say that you do a great job teaching them," I complimented in remembrance.

Her light brown eyes lit up in response. "That's funny, because I've also read one of your novels… "Angel of the Fallen Painting" I believe," She said with a short giggle. "You are deserving of your title I'd say."

 _'_ _That was my second novel, it was a mystery/drama book about a crime committed by an female artist who commonly uses angels in there work. She had killed a man in such a way that related to one of her paintings, and she got caught by a detective who saw the resemblance of what the angel was doing in the painting in the crime._ _'_

"You're not the first person to say that to me," I stated, stuffing some salad into my mouth, chewing then swallowing it. "I'm guessing that you want an autograph right?"

"No, I don't see a need for it, it's rewarding enough just to meet the man behind the books in person," she said, twirling one of her braids between her fingers. "Besides, I don't have anything of value for you to sign."

This comes as a surprise for me. "Huh, most people always want me to give them an autograph whether they have anything of worth for me to sign or not. They even have me sign parts of their body," I said cringing at a certain memory coming back to me. "Even places where no pen or marker should go on a human's body…"

"That's… quite disgusting to hear," she started, covering her mouth as if she would puke. "People can really be too obsessed sometimes."

"They certainly can be, just so you know… I didn't even bother actually signing there for those people," I mentioned, because I don't want anyone believing I would do something so vulgar.

 _'_ _They also acted like I was the bad person there for rejecting their nasty request. The human race can be perplexing at times._ _'_

"I figured that you wouldn't have," She confirmed with an understanding look. "I do hope the others haven't been much of a bother for you yet."

"Well, a couple were kind of annoying, but I've only met seven people, including you, so far," I informed her in between some bites of my food.

"You should get to meeting them soon as it's important for all of us to have a colorful harmony with each other since we will be living with one another for a while down here," she proclaimed, raising her arms in the air cheerfully. "Of course, a few people here have clashed with that harmony already, but it can always be resolved in the near future."

 _'_ _That was certainly well said, but it makes sense considering her talent. A band director should want everyone to get along after all._ _'_

"You won't have to worry about me, I've been doing my best to find the others to meet them," I assured her with a grin and a shrug, quickly finishing my meal soon after. "Suppose I should resume that mission now. So this is goodbye for now."

"Alright, be seeing you later Omezo!" she said, waving goodbye, with her head cocked to the right with a pleased smile.

I gave a quick wave back as I placed the tray on the counter near the kitchen. First, I tried to open the double doors, but found that they were locked shut, so instead I left through the single door on the left wall that I saw before. It was the same one Norito had went through, so I assumed I'd be seeing the bathrooms eventually. First though, I walked through a short hallway with one metal door at the end with a sign above it saying "Ultimate dorms". I went through the one at the end first, and entered quite the extravagant room.

* * *

 **-Ultimate Dorms 1st floor-**

This room was vastly different from what I've seen so far, as it had more of a regal style to it. There was a large gilded chandelier hanging from the center of the ceiling, high above the ground. It created a ton of lights with it's crystal-like light-bulbs that hung from it's 16 curved arms. The walls were quite far apart from each other, creating a very large space in the room. The ceiling was even higher than the one in the cafeteria. There were many cone shaped lamps lining the walls, lighting up the room. I could see a balcony up above across from me with mahogany railings. It looked as if it was embedded in the wall rather than outstretched like most balconies. There were two wooden spiral staircases that lead up to it on the left and right sides. The walls were covered with a beige wallpaper, and had what looked like birch trims. The floor was made from ceramic tiles, with a large black square carpet strewn across them, it was only a third of the size of the room. There was a door on the left with two golden plated signs, one saying "Botanical garden," and the other "Bathrooms." I saw another door on the right of the room with a similar sign saying "Art room," and a metal door in the wall underneath the balcony, between the stairs, with a sign on the front of it with the word "Laundromat" engraved in a medium sized golden plate. There was also a boy tinkering with a scanner that was in the wall to the right of the door.

I walked up to him, and saw that he had some strange device hooked up to the scanner.

He was a bit shorter than me. He has no noticeable muscles, has an slightly larger than average form, and has yellowish skin. semi-long pearl white hair that is very messy and sticks out in various locations from underneath his beanie, and pearl white average eyebrows. Overall, his face has a combination of soft and defined features. He has a rounded, average nose, low-set, small ears, soft jawline, and a small forehead. His orange eyes are a clear sign of his Asian descent. Covering his eyes, he wears some sort of holographic visor the holographic part of it is light blue, while the metal parts are shiny and white. His clothing consists of a walnut colored beanie, dark purple hoodie with the left sleeve torn off, navy blue straight jeans, and white tennis shoes with dark purple laces and black soles. He was wearing some electronic device like a watch on his left wrist. It has a screen, multiple buttons, and what looks like a speaker on it. It looks like it was made by the same people that made his visor, with a sleek metallic design. It was currently hooked up to the scanner. He also had a navy blue bag slung around his left shoulder, hanging by his right hip.

I watched him as he swiftly tapped on his device.

 _'_ _Is he trying to hack into the keypad? Whatever the case is, he doesn't seem to care how suspicious it looks._ _'_

"Hey there," I greeted, tapping on his shoulder, he jumped and turned to look at me and gave a sigh of relief. He didn't say anything. "Who're you anyways?" I asked nicely.

"011010 011100 101001 010011 010010," he said, without emotion, while straight faced.

 _'_ _Binary code? Is he actually a robot or something? How stranger can things get today?_ _'_

"So is this some kind of joke or are you quite literally incapable of human speech?" I asked with a confused look on my face.

He stared at me for a few seconds, smiled and shook his head. "Heheheheh… I'm just joshing ya! I'm no robot or anything crazy like that, but that was my introduction in binary code," he admitted, pushing up his glasses. "I am Heikichi Yoshizawa, the Ultimate Hacker. Trust me, I'm human."

* * *

 **-Heikichi Yoshizawa: Ultimate Hacker-**

* * *

 _'_ _I never thought anyone could make sense of binary code, let alone figure out their name using it. Unless he was just saying random numbers and is lying to me. Not like I would ever figure out if that was the case or not._ _'_

"Um… anyways, what exactly are you trying to accomplish with that keypad?" I questioned, raising a brow.

He scoffed. "How long were you standing there watching me?" he asked, scratching underneath his beanie. "And to answer your question, the laundromat is locked for some reason, and I'm trying to hack this keypad to unlock it, that's all, no biggie."

"No biggie? I don't think the staff of the facility would appreciate you hacking into their systems like this," I chastised, tapping my fore finger on my arm..

 _'_ _That said, I still have no idea if they're even here, let alone tracking their systems._ _'_

"There's no staff here to even care about it as far as I'm concerned. So I don't think it'll become an issue," he defended, shaking his head with a smirk. "We deserve to be able to wash our clothes at least, is it a bad thing for us to have access to that?"

"My guess is no, it's just a laundromat," I agreed. "No large corporations would need to hide a laundromat of all things."

"Exactly, but now it shouldn't be a problem!"

* **Click*** soon after he said that a turret slid out of the wall above the door, aiming directly at him.

"What did you do!?" I said in distress, looking ready to dive out of the way.

 _'_ _Ultimate Hacker, but he still managed to trip security. Maybe he's not the best after all._ _'_

"Huh, whoops. Better remove that…" he said, with no worry at all.

He started fiddling with his device, his fingers moving at lightning speeds, and then the turret receded back into the wall.

"Strange, strange indeed…" he mused, looking thoughtful as he stared at his device. "The turret only activated when I unlocked the door. That must mean that it responds when the door is opened incorrectly."

 _'_ _Who does he think he's fooling? Treating what just happened like it was nothing._ _'_

"Is that really what you have to say after you nearly got shredded?" I inquired. I mean, I envy his calmness, but it's only human to fear death. Unless he lied about being human.

"I know what you are thinking, but I had no reason to worry," he answered with a smirk as he stood up.

 _Sure…_

"I always know how to handle situations like that, you should have more confidence in the Ultimate Hacker," he reasoned, fixing his beanie.

"Do you at least have any suspicions towards this place?" I questioned.

 _'_ _It's best I try to see what everyone thinks. Maybe one of them will shed some light on this._ _'_

"To be honest, this situation with no one being here besides us sixteen feels very… Cliché, like horror movie cliché," he said, folding his arms across his stomach and leaning forward. "Might even say that it's _Killing game cliché_."

"Sozen said something similar," I responded flatly.

 _'_ _But is it really true? Did the Future Foundation let this this happen or did this slip by?_ _'_

"Susan?" He said, scratching his head, clearly misheard what was just said.

 _'_ _I said it loud and clear, how did he mishear that?_ _'_

"Sozen, the sheriff," I corrected.

"Oh, right, him. He accused me of breaking the law as I worked on opening the door," he mentioned, frowning. "Though he did not do anything other than that, so I guess I was let off easy."

"You say that like you have been apprehended before," I pushed. If there's a chance he's a criminal, I would like to know what I'm dealing with.

"The only person who's apprehended me was my mother for hacking into her computer since mine broke," He said with a shrug. "She was quite flustered, maybe it was because of her search history…"

 _'_ _Just don't tell me what was there._ _'_

"Anyways, I am going to search for the security room so I can shut it down, seeya!" he announced as he strolled out of the room.

 _'_ _Again, I don't understand how he treats everything like it's "no biggie" as he said. But, if this is a killing game, he'd be quite helpful. There I go, expecting this to be that game, until I see a psychotic bear, I cannot be sure about that._ _'_

Not wanting to stand around I made my way up one of the spiral staircases to come face to face with a hallway. In the middle of the hallway where is divides to the left and right, is a small little area with a laundry chute and a cart sitting next to it. There were 8 doors on either side of the hallway. Above the doors were small, little pixelated pictures of people. I recognized a few of them as the people I've met and myself. At the end of both directions there was a water fountain. The carpet was a nice warm blue color, and the walls were patterned the same as downstairs. The doors seemed to be made from rich mahogany with brass doorknobs, and a peephole.

* * *

 **-Ultimate dorms 2nd floor-**

 _'_ _This looks like a hotel, but I don't understand why we would get access to the laundry chute but not the laundromat, that is pretty much counter-productive._ _'_

I made my way towards room 5, because it had my picture above it and that must mean it's mine. Before I made it, someone slowly stepped into the hallway out of room 3, stuffing something into their pocket.

I noticed that he was quite tall, taller than everyone else I've met. He Has defined muscles and a slightly slimmer than average build, with porcelain skin. His hair is well combed and brushed to the sides. On the right side his hair reaches his shoulder and covers his eye halfway, while the left side only reaches his ear. The right side of his hair is jade colored, and the left side is jet black. His eyebrows are jet black, and look as if they are pointing at the bridge of his nose. Overall, his face looks longer and slimmer than most, his nose small and pointed, ears medium sized and high-set, his chin is pointed, and jade colored, sharp eyes. His outfit consists of a onyx colored duffle jacket, with the collar sticking out, the inside of the collar is jade colored, a cape that seems to be made up of bones that were melded together, straight legged onyx jeans that looked like they were stitched up with jade colored yarn, and onyx combat boots with metal latches. He also is wearing a necklace made up of talons, gems, and mini skulls, with a jade colored pentagram as the pendant. The most peculiar thing was the fact that it looked like spikes of bone were sticking out of the back of his right arm each one curving towards his arm like a knife.

"You don't look like someone who wants to be spoken to," I commented, covering my mouth afterwards.

 _'_ _Actually, I meant to keep that to myself but I have a habit I thinking aloud at the worst times. Maybe he's friendly? One thing is for sure, I'm about to find out._ _'_

"..." He did not even waver one bit, though I noticed his lips curl down.

I waited for a bit, but a response never came, he just continued to stare forwards.

 _'_ _Any longer and I'd believe I'm talking to a statue._ _'_

"Hello?" I asked, giving him a small wave.

"Greetings… You should know that it's proper to _greet_ a stranger rather than making a _insulting_ comment towards them," He told me, shaking his head as he turned to face me. If anything made me uncomfortable, it's this guy's stare.

"Why the silence then?"

"I was waiting for you to say hello or at least wave. That is all," He explained, standing up straight. His face returned to a neutral expression. "It's how all mortals should greet when they meet correct?"

 _'_ _Then I assume he won't tell me his name until I do._ _'_

"I'm Omezo Miyasaki, the Ultimate Novelist, and you are?" I said. I'm starting to get tired of introducing myself, the line is getting stale at this point.

"I am Masakado Kashiwa, the Ultimate Cult Leader, please, just call me Kado or master Kado or overlord or king Kado, if you wish."

* * *

 **-Masakado Kashiwa: Ultimate Cult Leader-**

* * *

 _'_ _I'll admit, I have not seen many ultimates, but a cult leader? Is that a talent that should be recognized?_ _'_

"Now that the formalities are out of the way, let's get on to business," He said, keeping the same expression.

 _'_ _I do not recall needing to do anything with anyone down here, let alone a cult leader. So what ''business' is he speaking of?_ _'_

"What business are you talking about?" I asked, my brows furrowing.

"Tell me, what was your first thought when I told you my talent?" He quizzed, touching the point of one of his spikes. "Honesty is appreciated and _expected_."

 _'_ _Not going to test him, might as well comply._ _'_

"I was astonished that a cult leader would be recognized as an ultimate," I answered, not sounding entirely sure of myself.

"Hmph, a common thought it is," He said, looking unimpressed. "My explanation for it, is that my cult does not give any reasons to be ignored."

 _'_ _That is… a broad reason. That can good be good or bad. Why not just say what he does if it is not something people would appreciate enough to call him a Ultimate._ _'_

"I don't want to assume anything, but you don't kill people do you?" figured it's best to get this question out of the way. I do know that not all cults do sacrificial rituals and what not, but it pays to find out.

"..." he thought for a moment. "We've sacrificed many, thousands even, I remember all their horrific looks as their blood left their body, but that's no issue is it?" he said, pulling out a ornery, black dagger. He turned it over and tested it's sharpness with his thumb.

 _'_ _He has some nerve admitting that, I cannot even tell if he's lying considering how he said it. Even if he is, the fact he said it in that manner is creepy and fucked up. That and he also took out a knife. I'll play along a bit more; hopefully, he does not end up attacking me._ _'_

"Uh… It is an issue, a very big issue, especially with our um... current situation," I countered, slowly getting more nervous.

"Cult leader," He said, smirking with his head cocked. He put the knife back in its sheath and placed it in his pocket.

"Huh?" I said, not really understanding what he means by saying that.

"You should know that cult leaders often lie, especially when they wish to recruit someone into there cult," he informed, twirling his necklace.

 _'_ _Now I get it, but he can't expect people to just know that he's lying when they spoke to him for a total of three minutes or so._ _'_

"Right, I just did not know what to expect from someone I just met you know?"

"I encourage you to take everything I say with a grain of salt, that is my advice," he advised, crossing his arms.

 _'_ _Peculiar how he gives advice that lessens his chance of getting away with lying._ _'_

"So what you're saying is that you and your cult have never killed anyone," I inquired.

"My point exactly. We only worship, gift, and recruit, that is all," he responded, giving me a small grin.

"Who do you worship?"

"You can know, if you gain my trust," He said straight faced.

"I'm not that curious about you Kado," I replied curtly.

 _'_ _That was a lie, how could you not be curious about this guy? I just don't want to keep this conversation going any longer._ _'_

"Then you've failed," he said, closing his eyes while looking away from me.

"Failed what?"

"My test, if you had succeeded you would have become my servant in this facility, but now you are nothing. A truly missed opportunity," he informed me, shaking his head.

"Yeah, I uh… never wanted to be anyone's servant, that's too much service to be indebted to for someone like me."

"Then we shall conclude this conversation, till we meet again Omezo," He said, walking towards the closest staircase.

 _'_ _A man shrouded in mystery is just what we needed down here... one that may or may not have killed at least one person before. I will need to be cautious around him even if there is not a killing game happening._ _'_

I then went up to room 5, my room, I tried opening it but it did not work.

 _'_ _How come I cannot open mine? I just witnessed Kado leaving his. There must be a key for it that I need to get._ _'_

I was about to walk away, but then I heard a clicking sound, like a door being unlocked. So I attempted to open the door again and it worked. I pushed it open and entered the room, shutting the door behind me.

* * *

 **-Omezo's room-**

 _'_ _That's strange, if it opened like that then maybe that means someone else unlocked it, which would entail that there is staff working here or at least someone has access to whatever opens these doors. Every minute things become increasingly weird down here._ _'_

I took a gander of my room. The room itself seemed to be designed with me in mind. The walls were midnight blue, and the carpet was golden yellow, matching my scarf. There was a mahogany desk in the back right corner of the room with large stacks of paper on it, a computer, and even a typewriter for some reason. I would never use such a loud and annoying machine but it's cool I guess. I also noticed a circular mahogany container with all the writing utensils I could ever need in it and a lamp with a flexible neck. Of course, there was a bed sitting in front of the back wall in the center. It had fluffy looking white pillows, a blanket matching the walls, a white mattress, and white sheets. Next to it was a bedside mahogany table with a small lamp on it. I noticed that there was a simple looking bathroom off in the far left corner, it did not have a shower or tub. Finally, there was a closet made from the same wood as everything else, centered on the left wall. They said that they would provide us with everything we needed so we did not have to bring anything, which has been true so far. So I should see clothes when I look in the closet.

I opened it up, and well there was clothes and shoes; however, all of them were identical outfits to the one I'm wearing now. This is the outfit people see me in all the time so it makes sense, but that does not mean it's the only thing I wear. It's no matter though, things like this do not bother me.

Finishing up my observations of the room, I left to be unnervingly close to a very excited looking girl wearing a very strange outfit.


	2. Prologue: Nowhere to Hide pt 2

_This girl picked unique clothing..._

She's shorter than me, has a slender, hourglass body shape, breasts that are straining her clothing, threatening to burst them, and sand colored skin. She has icy blue hair in the traditional shimada style. Overall, her face very sharp and petite definitions, with a small and dainty nose, medium sized, high-set ears, and a sharp jawline. She has almond shaped, sky blue eyes. She's wearing a midriff baring cerulean 'shirt' that shows of her cleavage, and covers her entire back, ending in a point. The rest of her clothing consists of cerulean latex pants, and light blue scarpin heels. She also had on what looked like 'armor' but seemed to be made of ice, probably fake ice. None of the armor really covered much at all as it was only present on her chest, knees, and elbows. She even was wearing a icy blue tail that was scaly and had a white mane of sorts, as well as long black fingernail extensions that looked quite sharp.

"I think you are a hair too close to my face," I said, holding up my hands defensively.

 _I hope it's not another girl who wishes to creep me out like the twins. Two is already too many._

"Oh! oops!" she exclaimed, covering her mouth with one hand in surprise. "Did not notice I was _that_ close to the door."

"How could you not realize that, unless you are blind, in that case I'm sorry for judging you like that."

"Nope not blind! My eyes are perfect, better than the human eye, considering that I'm a demon and all." she boasted, putting her hands on her hip. "I was just admiring this area's design while waiting."

 _Did she just say that she was a demon? She did didn't she. I mean the wild outfit makes her look demon-like, but clothing is clothing, not natural. That said, I have no clue what demon she's supposed to be representing._

"I'm guessing that someone told you I was here and you decided to go meet me."

"Whoah! You read my mind?! You must be a demon of some kind," she exclaimed, pulling out a book. "I better introduce myself right now. I'm Leiko Yamashiro, the Ultimate Demonologist. Please sign your name here!

* * *

 **-Leiko Yamashiro: Ultimate Demonologist-**

* * *

 _More crazy talents, at this point, I could expect to see an Ultimate Soap Taster appear next._

She stood there holding a book open for me and a pen in the other. I've seen many things like this before, an autograph request. Though I did not tell her who I was so why is she doing this?

"I have not even told you who I am, why the autograph request?"

"Because, I cannot resist getting a demon's autograph!" She shouted, practically shaking with anticipation.

 _Oh, she's referring to how she thinks I'm a demon, only because I guessed something that was obvious. Although, autographs is not something I imagined anyone wanting from a creature of darkness._

Somehow, someway, there actually was three other names on the left page. I saw Tenma-Taro, Tarrazog, Thilmith, etc. Just about all of them were in the same handwriting. I also noticed at the bottom of the page, there was Sawachika Hyobe signed in a very neat in cursive.

 _The others sound like demons, but the last one is just a normal name. Who did she find to sign these is my question, and why do I get the feeling she wrote them herself? I shouldn't sign it, in fear it's some kind of contract from hell._

"I will not be signing my name, since I'm not a demon," I explained. "But I can introduce myself. I'm Omezo Miyasaki, the Ultimate Novelist, master of literature."

 _I only added the last part so I can sound less boring, because it was stale before. Although, now I'll come across as arrogant, which I am not._

"Aww mann, your esper power was simply a coincidence then…" she pouted, looking defeated.

"Um… Sorry to disappoint you…?"

"I'm fine now!" she said in an upbeat tone.

 _At least she can change emotions on a dime. Somehow, I'm not surprised._

"Because I have someone new to talk to, and I know exactly what the topic can be!" She cheered, throwing her hands in the air.

"Which is? I will warn you I don't know much about demons," I asked, rubbing my chin.

"It doesn't involve them, so don't worry, you won't have to pretend!" she assured, patting my shoulder. "We will talk about ships!"

 _Ships? I did not see that coming, and what a unrelated topic to both our talents and the location. That is, unless she's talking about the other form of 'ship.'_

"How about you start it off," I requested. Only so I can find out which ship she's talking about.

"My OTP is this room, the Ultimate Dorms, and the Lounge Room! Their designs are impeccable and go well with each other, yet are different. Which makes for the best pairing!" she announced cheerfully, clasping her hands together, holding them up to her cheek, while standing on one foot.

"W-what?" I stammered, my eyes widening. "Those are rooms you are talking about…."

 _What do you even say to that? Not only does she use internet lingo for romantic pairings, but she does it with rooms as opposed to living beings._

"Sooo what!? They are more compatible than anyone else here so far. Therefore, I support them the most." She harrumphed, hugging her arms.

"Sure… whatever you say," I gave a half-hearted smile.

"Now tell me your OTP," She said, leaning closer to me with a curious stare.

"I don't have one, and never will." I making an X with my forearms.

"Come oooonnnn… I thought the Ultimate Novelist would know a thing or two about shipping." she rolled her eyes, sounding disappointed.

"I write novels, not sleazy fanfics on the internet. There is a difference you know," I said.

 _Not that I disapprove of fanfics, I just don't want her throwing in trans-formative fan creations with novels that authors have to come up with from complete scratch. They're in two different ballparks._

"But books have ships to don't they?" she pouted.

"They do, but they're not called ships, just pairings, and they are not always prevalent either, unlike in most fanfics."

 _That and they're written better and more professionally. Though right now, this situation feels like a real life fanfic._

"How lame, and people say demons are the fun killers…" she complained, stomping the floor.

"They do more killing than just that," I commented.

"Yeah, but at least they know how to have fun! Plus, humans kill humans too," she said, pointing at me with her fore fingers with a frown.

"Sure… that's a point," I said, scratching my hair. "But they are still supposed to be the epitome of evil."

"Whatever, being evil is cool, and besides, we're all evil in some way so we should just accept each other for what we are!" She scoffed at me angrily.

 _This girl should not be uttering philosophies._

"It still doesn't excuse anything," I countered.

"Don't care! Leaving!" she announced, trotting towards her room.

 _And I thought Erena was the overly excited one, now she seems more controlled by a long-shot when compared to Leiko._

I let out a sigh of relief, glad that was over, and headed down the stairs as well. I went through the door leading to the garden and bathrooms.

* * *

 **-Outside of Bathrooms-**

I came into a hallway, with the same walls and floor as the hallway that I entered the dorms from. There was a single metal door at the end of the hallway, and a section of to the right with a double door wide entrance way. I took a look inside to see that it was the bathrooms and showers. I also noticed a man standing in the area, he gave me a questioning glare.

He's the same height as me, has an average build, absolutely no muscle mass, and ever so slightly pale skin. He has slate colored hair that is slicked back and ends in a big wave-like curl. He wears round glasses with a golden rim over his pale blue angular eyes. His eyebrows are well kept and match his hair. His clothing consists of a fully buttoned up turtleneck uniform jacket with a blue gradient pattern going from the bottom starts from the darkest blue to the lightest blue at the top, white slacks, and dark grey pointy toed dress shoes. He also has a platinum medal with the words "genius approved" engraved on it, a black armband with the words "#1 student" on it in gold. He wears a plum colored neckerchief around his neck with golden trim to it. He also wears various jewelry, such as bronze earrings in the shape of an A, and three rings on each of his pointer fingers, one gold, one platinum, and one bronze. Finally, he has a black leather satchel hanging from his left hip.

 _I sure wonder what this guy's talent is…_

"So the fifteenth sheep arrives, will this one prove to be competent unlike most of the others?" the man said, adjusting his glasses.

"One, I'm not a sheep, two, trust me I'm competent, but I understand where you are coming from, everyone I've met have been… way over the line of normality," I vented.

 _And I think it's not going to end with the weirdos._

"So you say, no matter, you will always be a speck when compared to my level of intellect, as I am Anzai Sadakuno, the Ultimate Genius extraordinaire!" He said, brushing off his medal with a smirk.

* * *

 **-Anzai Sadakuno: Ultimate Genius-**

* * *

 _I was wondering where the arrogant one was. There's always one... always._

"Will you allow me to introduce myself?" I questioned, pointing to my chest.

"Go on ahead, you did not need to ask permissions because I can just choose to ignore you," he mentioned, flicking a stand of hair.

 _I can already tell just how much I'll hate this guy by the end of the day._

"I'm Omezo Miyasaki, the Ultimate Novelist, master of literature," I said, yeah I kept it, got to look impressive around someone like him.

"A master you say?" He swiftly whips out a pair of sunglasses from his satchel and replaces his current glasses with them. He started to move his arms in a way that reminded me of gang signs. "Oh no no no! Are ya' tryin' to show me up foo'?!"

"Uh… Um… why the sudden change In..." I was at a loss for words, again. I should be getting used to it at this point, but I keep getting surprised by the sheer wackiness of some of these ultimates.

"Feelin' fearful now punk! Tat's right!…" He switches his sunglasses with a monocle. He begins to adjust it. "You sir may be a master of one but I am a master of many, and it's only proper to treat me as your superior." he said, mimicking the stereotypical voice of a gentleman.

 _Three personalities, there might be another one in that satchel so I cannot count my chickens yet._

"I get that you have confidence but what exactly makes you the Ultimate Genius?" I asked, doubt hidden in my voice.

 _I ask because someone with a personality disorder seems like a very unlikely candidate._

He then switched to horn-rimmed glasses."*sniffle* well, because I have the highest score of genius levels, and I always operate at one-hundred percent brain power," He said in a nerdy voice. "and the second smartest person only has a genius level of fifty if I'm being generous."

 _His ego threatens to consume the world, and now I see he has a fourth personality, and what a great batch they are… I really need him to get out of this arrogant mood._

"I get it, you're a magnificent man with a superior brain, you don't need to tell me twice," I assured.

 _Hopefully, that makes him stop with the gloating._

He put on his round glasses that he had on the first time.

"Hmm~" he sang, pushing up his glasses. "Correct, now you should never try to show me up again."

 _That's what that was all for? Just to teach me a lesson for my introduction?_

"That was never the intention, I just wanted to add flare to my introduction," I explained, beginning to sweat.

"Well, I do respect you talent as it's intellectual, so I will allow you to call yourself a master, but do know your place," He replied, pushing a forefinger to my forehead, almost knocking me back.

"I know it, believe me," I said, brushing his finger away. "If you don't mind me asking, how many personalities do you have?"

"Four, and it's your guess as to which one is the real one though," he answered. "It does not take a genius to answer that one so don't prove yourself to be an idiot, there's enough of those down here already."

"It's this one then right?" I guessed.

 _It is the one he's stayed on the longest after all._

"Congratulations! You have raised up one percent in intellectual level!" He exclaimed, patting me on the head like a dog.

 _Now he's scoring me on my intelligence, it better at least be pretty high._

"From…?"

"Five percent, the highest out of the others," he said, pointing up in the air.

 _That's not high at all... And I'm not sure why he says I'm the smartest when I have not really done anything that would make it that way._

"But that seems really low," I said, my brows furrowing.

"Well, the scoring is based of my genius mind, so it's not as low as you may think," he said, looking down at me. "but it is pretty low-class as is anything below ninety percent."

 _Of course it is, even though that makes it unfair with how smart he thinks he is. Think may be the wrong word, but I have not heard that much about this guy._

"You are pretty harsh then, ninety percent seems like way too high a score to not be low-class," I commented.

"Of course, people react with determination to improve when you are hard on them," he said, beginning to switch to the sunglasses, and then punching his fists together. "Or beat the evah' livin' shit outta' them! Maaaannnnlllyy style!"

 _This may sound terrible, but how did most of these people end up being the last sixteen sane and alive Ultimates? In fact, a few if them don't seem sane at all._

"I'm bored of your simpleton mind, so ta-ta!~" he abruptly stated, giving me a half-assed wave as he walked away and out the door to the dorms.

 _The list of crazies goes on, because I can add a man with a gentleman, gangster, nerdy, and scholar personality, all ego infused, to it. The one thing that confuses me is why his personalities know to switch accessories, or how he himself knows._

Before I decide to leave through the door at the end of the hallway, I decided to check out the men's bathroom. Which had what it should have in it. It looks like any normal large public bathroom. It had 5 urinals, 5 stalls, and 4 sinks. The walls were the same as before, and the floor was ceramic, beige tiles. I left the room and tried to access the showers but I found that it was locked.

 _So not only can we not enter the laundromat, but the showers are off limits too. Is hygiene not allowed down here? Maybe it's just a time thing._

With that search over, I went out the door at the end of the hallway.

* * *

 **-Botanical garden-**

 _Ah, so here's our oxygen. I would have expected Erena to be in here, since it'd be more fitting._

This was very clearly a garden, it was just about as large as a soccer field. There were tons of plants and flowers in here, I can safely say that there's probably 80 percent of all the types of fruit and vegetables in here, plus various types of flowers, common and exotic. They were all lined up and spaced evenly on top of a knee-high steel table. On each side against the walls there was a table line with different sizes of clay pots and glass vases. There was many light above them, provided artificial sunlight, and sprinklers connected to thin lead pipes were above the plants. The room felt very humid at the moment, so that must mean the plants were watered not too long ago. The walls were the same, and the floor was made from black ceramic tiles.

"Psst!" someone whispered loudly in my left ear.

I swiveled to my left to see a tall boy hiding behind some plants on my side of the table.

He was not taller than Kado, but definitely the second tallest so far. He has very obvious muscles and a slim build, with nicely tanned skin. His very short hair is sandy blonde, with a short cowlick that sweeps up and to the left with jet black tips. He also has a well trimmed sandy blonde beard that comes into a short pointy goatee, that of which has a jet black tip. His eyebrows are sandy blonde, and look quite bushy. Overall, his face is very defined, his nose slightly bigger than average, smaller high-set ears, and light blue, oval shaped eyes. His clothing consists of a tight fitting burnt orange tank top, the sides and trim of the tank top are a vivid yellow, light gray vinyl shorts that reach past his knees, and tennis shoes that match his outfit's color scheme. Looking closer, I could see that his tennis shoes had an emblem that looked like a flame shooting back from the heels. He was also wearing wrist bands that went just to his elbow. The one on the right being a vivid yellow and the other being burnt orange.

"What is it you want to say?"

 _Although, with how he's hiding, it probably is not something good._

"You see that girl over there?" he pointed at a girl dressed in a regal attire, that was sitting on the floor with her eyes closed, looking like she was meditating.

"Uh... Yeah."

"I spoke with her a bit, and dude... she's the hottest of all the girls," he said with a hint of admiration. "I've never met anyone nearly as fuckin' great as her.'

"So you are creepily peeping on her," I accused. "That's not something I feel is right you know."

"I know that, I'm not peeping, I'm hiding," he told me, his tongue lolling out. "Because she's also really goddamn feisty, another sexy factor to her."

"And why do I need to know this?" I asked, looking kind of disturbed.

"Because I need a bro I can lean on if things get hella rough," he replied, punching his hand. "First though, we need each other's name."

 _I don't remember agreeing to this nor him asking in the first place. That said, I don't really care because what's the worst that can come from this? So long as it's not something pervy. Although, it's seeming that way._

"Even though I did not consent to this, I'll assist I guess," I complied with a shrug.

"Hell yeah! That's the attitude I needed," He cheered, fist pumping. "Although, you could have sounded more freaking confident. Anyways, I am Jurobei Kotake, the Ultimate Football Star, or Soccer Star if that's your thing, but let's not get into that argument"

* * *

 **-Jurobei Kotake: Ultimate Football Star-**

* * *

"I'm Omezo Miyasaki, Ultimate Novelist, master of you know what," I quickly said. "I won't regret this will I?"

"Ehhh, if she decides to kick our asses then yes, but I will have your back as will you mine, so we'll be fine," He said with confidence.

"What do you even plan on doing anyways?"

"Just a little thing called smooth talking, nothing too special," He slicked back his hair with his hand while smirking.

He motioned me to follow him as he approached the girl. We got pretty close to her, and she continued to stay rigid in her sitting position, with her eyes closed.

"Alright, now I just need you to grab her attention," He commanded, getting in a position that looked like he was prepared to scramble away.

 _I can already see where this will go._

"Uh… hello, girl with the mo-hawk," I anxiously said, biting my lip in the process. "This is me, trying to get your attention so I can get this charade over with.

 _I decided that I will be honest this time, because I could really care less._

She did not move a muscle.

"You need to try more fuckin' hard dude!" Juro exclaimed angrily, running up to the girl. "Like this..."

"Hey beautiful, time to wake up and see the shining light," He was about to make contact with the girl with a finger but she suddenly sprang up and jabbed out a very elegant and intricate looking rapier that has cobalt velvet material covering the grip into a tomato directly next to Juro, causing it to explode onto his jacket and pants, staining it red.

"WE'VE ANGERED THE BEAST!" He screamed in fear, as he sprinted away at a extreme speed.

 _Yeah, I remember him saying he had my back, and I sure had his, a nice view of his as he ran anyways._

Despite what happened I just stood still, running my hands through my hair. I gave the girl a shrug as she pointed her rapier at my face, with an emotionless expression plastered on her face.

She's shorter than me, not by a lot though, has a slender frame, with average curves, and a tanned skin tone. She has long, platinum blonde hair with crimson highlights, that is styled into a braided mo-hawk that reaches her upper back. Her eyebrows are S shaped and match the color of her hair. Overall, she has a defined visage, with a slim jawline, small perky nose, slightly larger than normal, low-set ears, sky blue eyes. Her clothing consists of a cobalt long-sleeved tailcoat with white lining and brass buttons on the front and two long tails on the back worn over a black long-sleeved shirt, cobalt trousers, and a cobalt capelet with black lining that reaches down to her hips which she wears over her torso. She wears dark brown shoes covered by white spats with brass buttons on the outsides that reach up and cover her knees, as well dark brown leather gloves. She also wears a mask that covers her face up to her nose and goes down to the base of her neck, it looks like it was made from cobalt and white bandages. Finally, she has a leather sword belt around her waist with a ruby red scabbard on her right side.

"So you choose to stand and fight like a true warrior?" She asked, her brow furrowing.

"Well, I'm no warrior um… but yes, I felt no need to run, since I doubted that you would actually attack me," I admitted, giving her a nervous smile.

"Honorable, can't say that much to your coward friend though," she said, sheathing her rapier. "But if someone draws there weapon you ought to be ready to fight if you plan on standing strong."

"Believe me, I would not have tried to fight you if you really were going to attempt to," I put up my hands in a defensive position.

"That doubt could have ended your life, I was fully capable of doing so just now," She said, crossing her arms with a judging stare. "And I would not hesitate to end anyone's life if I challenge or threaten them."

"I'll be sure to take that into account next time," I smiled.

"Tell me, who are you brave one?" she inquired., resting a hand on her rapier.

"Omezo Miyasaki, the Ultimate Novelist," I said.

 _I'd rather not add in the rest like I did before, just in case she doesn't respond well to bragging in any form._

She bowed. "And I am Nene Wakisaka, the Ultimate Fencer, champion of the arena," she introduced, placing a hand on her hip. "You better not be as idiotic as the hopeless romantic, or I'll have to carve you a warning into your hand…"

* * *

 **-Nene Wakisaka: Ultimate Fencer-**

* * *

"Nononono, I got roped into that whole thing," I quickly stated, holding my hands up defensively.

"Yes, I recall you saying something that entailed you did not care," She said, recalling my past words. She then frowned at me. "Letting someone pull you around like that is a weakness."

"What did you expect me to do about it?" I squeaked out. "I really did not care anyways."

"You should have shown power over him with a duel," She stood upright, grabbing hold of her rapier.

"I don't do duels, only argumentative writing," I mentioned.

 _And it's much less risky, because all I have to deal with is critics, then again, critics can be pretty cruel._

She let out a sigh of disappointment. "Why is it that everyone I met down here so pathetic, I am already missing my arena where I can always expect a fight," she said, looking away from me.

"Welcome to the real world," I responded flatly.

"I've always been in the real world, just not surrounded by weaklings," She deadpanned.

"I mean, you cannot expect people to be experienced fighters all the time, plus, the way you toss out threats only scares them," I told her, scratching my head.

"It's how you show strength and get people to shut up, otherwise no one will take you seriously," She flicked her hair back with a scoff."Actions speak louder than words, that much has been true for me."

"But words are friendly and people respond to them better," I reasoned.

 _That was kind of cheesy I know, but I'm having a hard enough time finding words to begin with._

"Which is why you are a coward, much like everyone else here," She said, stabbing her rapier into the ground. "The cultist is the only one who seems to show signs of true strength, and I suppose the sheriff, but he has too much restraint."

"That's not what makes people a coward it-" I tried to say, but she cut me off by putting the rapier's tip to my neck.

"It's high time I spend time alone, it'd be best for you to not talk to me again until you've shown competence," She demanded, sheathing her rapier once more, leaving me in a tense state.

With that said, she pirouetted and walked off.

 _I had thought she'd be nicer, at first but as time went one she became real cold. She must've lived a unique life or something with the way she sees the world._

Before I could collect the rest of my thoughts, Juro came running back towards me.

"How the hell did you manage to talk to her for more than five seconds?!" He questioned, sounding worn out. "I only had three seconds until she told me she was going to render me blind…"

"You must be an expert on angering her then," I guessed with a shrug.

"I only complimented her looks and badassery, who would want to kill someone over that!? Especially from someone like me." He exclaimed, sounding offended.

"Looks like it's the first time you talked to a girl that is not a fan of yours then, because any girl would do something similar to a stranger if they flirted with them," I informed him, rubbing my chin.

"Shit… really? Every girl that I talked to only liked me because of my fame?" He stammered, looking baffled.

"Probably."

"What a damn bummer dude! I find the perfect woman, and she didn't even know who the fuck I was!" He yelled, kicking the bench nearby. "Guess I'll have to give her some time then."

"Good idea, also, next time, don't expect me to… trust you considering that you kinda... ran away," I told him.

 _Because I'd rather not be left behind with a person like her in such a state again._

"Hey! That woman is right scary, scary hot, but goddamn scary enough to send anyone running! You just have a death wish you crazy bastard!" He said sounding pissed while clenching his teeth.

 _That's not it, but I'll let him think what he wants, for his own good._

"Speaking of running, I gotta go... I have more ultimates to meet," I announced, turning heel towards the exit door.

"See you around then bro!" He gave a friendly wave.

 _Clearly he's not the brightest light in the house, and he is very rowdy and loud. At least he's nice im his own way. Honestly, I don't know how I feel about him yet._

I made my way back to the dorms and through the door leading to the art room.

* * *

 **-Art room-**

Suffice to say that this does indeed look like an art room. Everything you could ever need for every kind of art is in this room, scattered about, utensils, clay, sculptures, canvases, paper, paint, etc. There was tables and chairs lining the left and right walls. The wooden floor was astoundingly clean for an art room, Norito must have been in here recently, and he really lives up to his title. The walls had colorful murals painted on them, the one in the back however is completely blank, upon closer inspection, there was fresh white paint on it.

"I see you noticed the wall," a meek voice commented.

I turned to my left to see a girl who was very short, for a teenage girl anyways. She has a very petite frame, with smaller than average breasts, and ivory skin. She has light brown, butterfly styled hair, light brown, rounded eyebrows, and yellow eyes. She also had lip gloss on. Her clothing consists of a short olive green dress with a scalloped light gray skirt, a high gathered waist, and a single flower-like sleeve, as well as a pair of knee-high white boots that look like paint was splashed on them. She also wears a lavender feathered hat, except instead of a feather, it's a large paintbrush.

 _Why do I see a sense of familiarity looking at her?_

"Any specific reason why it's blank?" I asked, observing the wall closer.

"I did that, because I wanted a good background for my projects to sit in front of," she answered, twiddling with a paintbrush.

"So you're an artist I presume?"

"Yup, the Ultimate 3-dimensional Artist, Isoyo Imagawa… there is no art as glorious as mine…" She said rather blandly, as if she was tired. "or at least that's what people say anyways… who knows if it's true or not…"

* * *

 **-Isoyo Imagawa: Ultimate 3-Dimensional Artist-**

* * *

 _Is she tired or something? I would have expected more emotion with a introduction like that._

"For words that are supposed to sound grand, you did not really sound all that enthusiastic," I commented, my brows furrowing.

"What do you mean," she said, putting a brush up to her chin, meaning that it was probably a question she just asked. "I meant what I said, and I was interested in it."

"Then where is the expressions?" I inquired.

 _She's really hard to read when she doesn't do any motions with her body. Maybe she's the robot._

She took out a block of clay and molded at a almost lightning speed into a head that resembled her's perfectly, it had a very proud and excited expression. She put it in front of her face. "Is this what you were looking for?"

 _Okay then… I must say, the face looks convincing, but couldn't she just use her own?_

"Um… not really what I was looking for, but I guess it works," I said, rubbing my forehead.

"Great. I'm glad that I could satisfy you," she molded the face to look pleased. "It would be nice to know your name."

"Right, I'm Omezo Miyasaki, the Ultimate Novelist, master of the literature arts," I said with a smile.

"I knew it was you," she said, molding the face to look happy.

"We've met before? Or have you just seen a picture of me?" I scrunched my face trying to remember if I've seen her before.

She quickly changed the entire head to look like a different girl, too which I then recognized after a second of studying it.

"Oh, you're that girl, the one who made that statuette of my main character in my first novel," I recalled, my eyes lighting up. "It was the first fan gift I had ever gotten."

"That's correct, I've been a long time fan, but I have not had the chance to meet you ever again after that time because of the whole ultimate thing," she said, biting her brush.

"I understand, I'm sorry for not realizing it was you," I said with a apologetic smile.

"You don't need to apologize, I've changed a lot since then, and that was 4 years ago, when I was 13," She said, changing the head and face of the clay statue back, giving it a sympathetic look.

"Still, you made my day with that gift you know?" I said, putting a hand over my chest. "Although, now I get things like that all the time, so much so that I could drown in fan made things."

"Being an ultimate really rocks doesn't it," she molded the face to look cheerful.

"Yeah… it can…" I said, looking down.

 _But most of the time, I can't help but feel like I'm locked in a path I may not want to follow. Geez, now I'm starting to sound like him..._

"Is there something wrong with it…" She morphed the face to look confused.

"No… I'm just getting lost in memories, that's all," I said, giving a nervous laugh. "Don't let me ruin your opinion of being an ultimate."

"Of course, I find it an honor to be recognized for something on such a high level. It also allowed me to meet some very great people, such as other ultimates, and you again," She changed the face to look happy. "You are just as awkward now as you were then."

"Some things don't change..." I said, my eyes adverting to the side. "By the way, what projects were you planning on making?"

"I don't know know quite yet," She molded the face into a inquisitive expression. "But I will want it to be memorable, to remind me of my time with the rest of you guys down here."

"Then you must be expecting this to be a grand ole time," I said with a half-hearted smile.

"It has been already, everyone is so fun and unique, even if a few of them are a bit creepy or rude," She turned the face into a pleased and excited expression. "It still makes a memorable experience with such a colorful group of people."

"You do have a point there, I've met fourteen ultimates now. All of them have been anything but normal."

"There's still one more you have to find, don't let me stop you."

"Gotcha, I'll be heading out then."

"Buh bye," She waved with a paintbrush. "Good seeing you again."

 _It's nice to know that some people I've met before or at least are not complete strangers are down here as well. Maybe this won't be so bad, unless- no, don't go back to that thought process again Omezo._

* * *

 **-Ultimate Dorms 1st floor-**

 _One… last… person. This is the most talking in one day that I've ever done, never imagined it'd be this tiring._

"Aha! There's the last ultimate, I've been searching long and hard for you." a girl announced, pointing at me with a displeased look on her face.

She's about a hair shorter than me, has a spoon-like body shape, with defined muscles, and slightly yellow skin color. She has turquoise hair that reaches down to just above her chest, styled with a combination of straight and braided hair, and soft angled turquoise eyebrows. Overall, her face is quite smooth, nothing is too defined, with her average sized short nose slightly smaller than normal, low-set ears, and gray eyes. Her clothing consists of a pinstripe, charcoal black princess vest, a plum colored undershirt, black bow-tie, plum pinstripe dress pants, and black chelsea boots. She also was wearing a bronze locket, and a earphone in her left ear.

"Same, except I only just began it," I nodded.

"Think you're lucky kid?" She aggressively pointed at my chest, pressuring me. "Do you just get everything the moment you want it?

 _What did I do? She's treating me like I did something terrible._

"No, lady luck doesn't favor me that much," I said, holding up my hands defensively.

"Then I must've gotten the short end of the stick, because ever since Erena told me you and Sozen arrived, I had been trying to make contact with you," She said, crossing her arms.

"It's not like I was trying to elude you," I scratched my head with a nervous grin.

"It does not matter to me though, I enjoy having something to do while we wait for any personnel in the building to show their faces," she gave a hearty laugh.

 _So she was just playing with me before… Can't say I'm not glad, for a second there I thought I'd be arrested._

"Did Erena tell you my name and title?" I am honestly hoping she did so I don't have to say it for the sixteenth freaking time. Maybe I'm just overreacting a bit though.

"If she did, I don't recall it," She answered, leaning on a foot.

 _Dangit..._

"... I'm O-"

"You are Omezo Miyasaki, the Ultimate Novelist, you've written six legendary novels, all well received, and have made thousands off them."

 _Not only did she steal my introduction, she made it sound better than I ever did. I should pay her to speak for me next time._

"Thanks for doing my introduction for me, I was bored of it anyways," I said, sounding indifferent.

"No problem!" She flashed me a thumbs up.

"Who might you be anyways?" I questioned.

She whipped out a wallet that rolled open and revealed tons of certified licenses, there was enough to reach the floor and reach a few inches behind me, and I was standing about a foot away from her.

 _It's like she opened a ancient scroll, of licenses, ids, and badges. How could one human being have this much in their wallet?_

"Well, I guess I did not keep those secured in, no matter, as you can see here," she put a finger on the very top id card. "I am Kaiya Aoki, what it does not say however, is that I am the Ultimate Secret Agent."

* * *

 **-Kaiya Aoki: Ultimate Secret Agent-**

* * *

"If you're are a secret agent, then why did you tell me? Or did the definition of secret change while I wasn't looking?" I joked.

 _Seriously though, aren't secret agents supposed to keep their jobs and identity hidden?_

"Secret means the same as it ever was, I just see no real reason to keep my talent hidden, considering the state of the world right now," She explained as she pressed something on her wallet making it roll up automatically and fast. "Besides, we need to be able to trust one another down here. Meaning no secrets should be kept."

"That makes sense, I cannot say I have any secrets I need to reveal, so we're good on that front," I smiled.

 _Well, I do actually have secrets, but I do not feel like dealing with anyone and their bullshit if I revealed them._

"But you could be lying," Her gaze darkened.

"Uh… I suppose yeah," I said, my eyes shaking. "But I'd think that you would already know them with your talent."

"Possibly, but that would require a lot of searching in files, and I have done enough searching today," She said. "And I don't think it's necessary, because I have faith that you are being truthful."

 _She totally suspects something._

"Good to hear, so what kind of secret agent are you, because I can't really tell with the unfathomable amount of stuff you have in that wallet," I said, gesturing to her wallet which looks surprisingly flat for all that it contains.

 _Seriously, she's a certified everything, from doctor, to chef. Wait, why would she need a certification for being a chef? Do agents really deem that a necessary thing? I don't see it coming into play._

"I do all kinds of work, from spying, secret service jobs, intelligence operations, etc," "The coolest part about it though, is all the sweet gadgets I get to use. Here, try this!"

She tossed me a cupcake of all things, and it landed in my hands. "Where were you keeping this?" I asked.

"Just try it!" She begged in anticipation.

 _No sense in denying a chance to eat a delicious cupcake._

I took a bite, or thought I did, but I ended up chomping down on my teeth rather than a fluffy cupcake. That said, the cupcake looked like it was bitten into.

 _ow..._

"That was a holographic flavored cupcake!" She exclaimed, stifling a laugh.

"What's the point of that?" I questioned, sounding upset.

"Beats me, I just saw it on a table in a secret base I was in once upon a time," she shrugged with her shoulders "My guess is that it's to fake looking like you are doing something else, while spying."

"Or pulling a prank, like you did," I said, crossing my arms while looking away.

"Did you want the cupcake that much?" She said, sounding sympathetic.

"Well, I love them so yeah," I admitted with a small smile.

"Aww, sorry, maybe they'll be on the menu later," She said, patting me on the back with a sorrowful look.

"Don't get my hopes up."

"Will all the ultimates in the facility please report to the announcement stage, though the double doors in the cafeteria, thank you," a rowdy, tomboyish and raspy voice sounded through the intercom.

"Who's that?" Kaiya asked, looking surprised. "I thought there was no staff here."

 _It didn't sound like Monokuma or Junko, so I guess this is no killing game. What's dead is dead._

It really felt like a ton was lifted of my chest after hearing that voice. This means we will be getting the protection we were promised. All that's next is waiting till the despair is cleaned up.

* * *

 _ **Prologue end**_

 _ **Ultimates remaining: 16**_

* * *

 **AN: I am curious to know who your favorites are so far, or if you wish to put in the effort, your opinions on all of the characters.**

* * *

 **Review responses:**

 _Scorpio116:_ I appreciate you being here to support! Yeah, introductions are a thing I try to flesh out more than most authors do, because I feel that it's imperative to establish exactly what a character is like and to give them more than just a few sentences for the sake of making everyone care about them as soon as possible. That way, I can make the first deaths more impactful and despairing.

 _Katastic Writer: I'm glad I could bring brighten your day! I do like doing establishing both the setting and characters in the same chapter for the sake of pacing. I hope I can keep your enjoyment level up throughout this story._

 _ThePLOThand: I do like to make the best description that I can, otherwise, it wouldn't be as flavor-able you know? I can't have lazy designs in my story, and I need to replicate the Danganronpa fashion sense the best I can. If being a princess is considered a talent, then why not twins? Also, fitting music choices!_

 _pokemansuperallstar: I'm glad you're already loving the cast! The rest are sure to impress all the same._


	3. Chapter 1-1: How the Water Flows

**-Ultimate Dorms 1st floor-**

"Turns out that there is staff here after all," I said, my brows furrowing.

"You had suspicions then, as did I," Kaiya spoke, quirking a brow. "Sure took them awhile to speak up…"

"No sense in keeping them waiting, we should go," I suggested with a small smile.

Kaiya nodded, and we made our way to the cafeteria.

* * *

 **-Cafeteria-**

Once we entered the place, I looked over at the double doors I saw before. I remember them being locked last I tried to open them. That was probably because they needed time to prepare the announcements and our welcoming. I also noticed Sozen standing next to the doors, crossing his arms looking down to the floor. He was probably deep in thought.

"Is something the matter Motozawa?" Kaiya questioned, folding her arms over one another.. "The doors should be unlocked."

"They are, but that's not why I'm stiff in the bones at the moment," he responded, his gaze shifting towards us. "Despite the voice showing no relation to Monokuma, I still find myself feeling uneasy about this."

"You really don't know how to relax do you," I accused, frowning.

"It's only natural for me to think of all the possibilities," he defended, mildly annoyed. "Whatever happens, I want you to know that I plan on putting a full stop to the operation if it turns out the worst."

 _I sincerely hope that he won't have to, but it's good to know that he has a plan if this goes awry. Although, I am not quite sure what he thinks he'll be able to do about it..._

With that message, he pushed open the doors and stepped inside. Kaiya and I looked at each other, and then followed suit.

* * *

 **-Announcement room-**

The room itself was pretty bare-bones, there was a 3 inch high stage in the back of the room, and absolutely nothing to sit on. The room was the size of a school gym, with metal plated walls, and a cement floor. There were banners that had the Future Foundation logo on it, and a "Welcome all ultimates" sign hanging above the stage. There were also large xenon lights hanging from the ceiling. Not everyone was here yet, as I only saw Norito, Nene, Arishige, the twins, Kado, Erena, Sozen, Sukey, and Juro here.

"Shouldn't there be someone actually fuckin' here?!" Juro commented, clenching his teeth. "What kind of workers are these people to always be a damn no show!?"

 _It is strange, I would have expected there to at least be a representative in here to greet us. There has to be some reason for this._

"I am getting tired of the games they play," Arishige said, applying some black eyeliner on himself. "Being on time for meetings is important, especially when someone had something prominent to reveal."

"Maybe we should just give them time, much like how mother nature gives us time to prepare for our next day!" Erena exclaimed, clasping her hands.

"They've had plenty of time already," Nene coldy stated, crossing her arms. "They should show themselves now."

"They're most likely waiting for everyone else to arrive," Sukey said, attempting to calm everyone.. "It would be unfair to start the show too early."

 _That is the more likely reason, but it doesn't entirely excuse them._

"If the others arrive," Kado deadpanned. "I know quite a bit of them were fearful."

"Hmhmhmhmhmm~ maybe we scared them enough to make them want to avoid us…" The twins mused while grinning.

Eventually, the others did arrive.

"Jeez, about time you losers arrived…" Juro said, rolling his eyes while lacing his hands behind his head.

"You have some nerve calling the true genius a loser," Anzai retaliated, flicking his hair around.

"It's more of a case of brain-dead," Nene hastily said.

"Is anyone on my damn side!?" Juro complained, angrily raising a fist.

"There must be some sort of hold up," Heikichi offered, scratching his beanie. "We are all here, so they should be as well."

"Maybe they are preparing an spectacular entrance…" Isoyo mused, placing a finger on her lip.

 _The more we wait, the more a pit forms in my stomach, a pit of doubt. Are we really safe?_

"Buckle your seat-belts, because the moment you've all been waiting for is about to arrive!" The same voice from the intercom announced from somewhere.

The lights dimmed, and suddenly flames erupted on the stage, shooting out like geysers, as a short little plushie like lizard rose up on the stage, with a spotlight on them. It was standing on two feet as well. I would call it cute had I not been reminded of Monokuma, with the way that half their left side of their body is white, and the other being a very dark purple. They even had the malicious looking eye that Monokuma had, on the purple side of its face, except it was glowing a vibrant green rather than red. As the flames dies down, silence filled the room. Everyone's face showed either terror or confusion.

 _I… cannot find words to say. It's not Monokuma, but most definitely something similar. There's just no chance of this being fake. The Future Foundation would never create this thing._

"Seems my entrance was so spectacular that it took your breath away! Gahahahaha~" Lizard chortled. "Now where's my applause?!"

 _Like they will get any sort of appreciation from us_.

Or at least I thought so, as Kado gave her a slow clap and Erena followed with fast clapping.

"Very nice! Very nice indeed!" Erena remarked cheerfully.

"Heh… I'm pleased to see that it won't be as boring as I thought, being stuck in here," Kado commented, a smirk forming on his face.

 _Why the hell is he taking enjoyment out of this?_

"See? Some people here has some appreciation for all my hard work on this," the lizard said, looking pleased. "Why can't you all be so thankful?"

"Eeeeeeeeeeee~ you're too adorable!" Erena exclaimed, her eyes shining.

 _That was single handedly the most cutest sound I've ever heard come out of a human's mouth. That said, no, this thing is not cute, it serves as a reminder of terrifying past, and the 2nd tragedy itself. Even though Junko is not alive, despair did not die with her. This may be the reincarnation._

"You have a good eye girly!" Monotokage complemented, twirling around. "No one can deny my cuteness!"

"Have you looked in a mirror?" Norito asked, pointing his broom at the robot. "You are very reminiscent of the despairing stain that was Monokuma!"

"Yeah, and there's nothing cute about that," Isoyo added, pointing with her brush.

"I guess you can say my creation was... inspired," The lizard replied, crossing her arms with her head tilted. "One thing's for sure, my inventor was a genius!"

 _A genius at creating a hellish mistake that should return to the trash pile._

"Nonsense, there's only room for one genius in this world…" Anzai commented, switching to his sunglasses. "I'll hafta change that in a sec!"

"Fuck off with this!" Juro shouted, clearly pissed. "Who the fuck're you!? And why the hell is are you even here!?"

"They must be some kind of demon, because there's no other way a plushie could come to life!" Leiko said, her face beaming. "This gives me another chance for a signature! And some studying."

"I'm not a demon, at least in race, but I do enjoy playing twisted games!" the lizard said, "But if you really must know, my official name is Monotokage! And I am here to begin the next killing game!"

"No…" Isoyo muttered, covering her mouth.

"K-k-killing… game…" I sputtered, putting a hand to my forehead. I could feel the nervous sweat dripping from my face.

 _Sozen was right, I should have just listened to him, we both had the chance to turn back before it was too late. Now, we are all smack dab in the middle of a killing game. This was supposed to be a safe haven, how did it come to this…_

"I'm sure most of you already know the whole gig, but just to be safe, let me explain the game," Monotokage said with her left hand on her hip, and her right forearm outstretched. "In this death defying game of betrayal and despair, you will all be trapped in here forever, unless one of you takes the life of another. Of course, you must get away with it in order to actually leave. As you will all battle it out, the blackened, who is the killer, versus everyone else in a trial. So your crime must be perfect enough to elude them from the truth, so you can be free or fail and be punished!"

"I can't believe this…" Sukey muttered, tears forming in her eyes.

"It's actually happening…" Erena grasped at her head with her eyes shut.

"I was fooled… fooled! into coming down here for protection only to stumble across this dreaded game," Anzai said, dramatically falling to one knee. "My genius mind picked a horrible time to fail me…"

"Fuckfuckfuckfuckfuckfuckfuckfuckfuck!" Juro repeated at an unimaginable speed, with a horrified look on his face.

 _How is he able to say that word so fast? It's almost as if he practises every day._

"What a terrible…" Shuuyo started looking down.

"Terrible… Rikako continued, frowning.

"Occurrence, to be participants in the infamous horrific and terrifying game," the twins said together.

"At least we can die with one another sis," Rikako said, grasping her sister's hand.

"We can face the afterlife together," Shuuyo staring into her sister's eyes with a smile. "Just like we always do things, together..."

 _They are really starting to give off signs of… nevermind, it's probably just a sisterly bond right...?_

"Ridiculous! Do you really think we'll kill each other!" Kaiya finally spoke up, sounding furious. "The Future Foundation would be able to notice if this was going on and put an end to it."

"I would hope that they can," Sozen said, closing his eyes. "A lot of money went into our security, they shouldn't allow this to happen."

"Don't worry, there's no way they'll find out what's going on," Monotokage said with confidence, placing a hand on their hip. "So rest assured, the game will go on."

 _More like, please worry like there's no tomorrow! Because at this point, that may just be the case, that there will be no next day._

"Like we wanted it to asshole!" Juro insulted his hand clenching into a tight fist.

"Perhaps, the Future Foundation is working with Monotokage," Kado questioned leaning forwards. "Oh, how despicable it would be."

"No, I'm fooling them into thinking everything is going according to plan by sending messages under the lead operators name of the project," Monotokage informed with a yawn, using their tail to lean their head against. "What a bunch of blind sheep, amirite?! Yahehehehehe!~"

 _H-how is… how is that damn lizard actually able to blindside them? Is that really all it takes?_

"Then this means I have no choice but to take initiative… I promised I'd put a stop to this," Sozen said, reaching into his coat and revealing a 44. Magnum. He aimed it toward Monotokage and immediately pulled the trigger, not giving anyone time to react, all the human's anyways, as the little robot lizard swiped the bullet back at him with some strange shield that extended from their wrist.

I gasped for a moment, and everyone turned to look at Sozen, the bullet only hit his coat's collar. I was relieved only for a second as Monotokage rocketed towards him, slamming him to the ground, seizing his weapon. They flew back to the stage, examining the gun.

"Sozen!" Sukey, Norito, and I shouted.

 _That must have been what he meant when he said he'd put a stop to whatever happened. I don't what I was expecting, but it was definitely not him attempting to shoot Monotokage._

"Shit dude, you alright?!" Juro asked, looking shocked, as he rushed over to him. "That was some ragdoll shit yo!"

"Yeah, nothing feels injured," Sozen respond, sitting up, holding his shoulder.

Juro offered his hand and Sozen grabbed it as he was assisted in standing up on his feet.

"With how you're holding your shoulder... are you sure about that?" I asked glancing at his shoulder with uneasy eyes.

"The pain will go away in a few hours, so stop worrying," Sozen said between breaths.

"That was uncalled for!" Monotokage complained, holding their arms up in anger. "Thanks for the new toy though. Your charity is appreciated."

"Now we know that he has defensive parameters," Heikichi mentioned, typing on his device. "Won't be that easy to destroy him, let alone hack into."

"First of all, I'm female! Assuming genders of robot lizards is wrong!" Monotokage said, before licking her tail with a seductive look. "Second, no matter how sexy I am, I don't approve of having your grubby palms near me… unless you have something to give."

"Ewww…" Leiko said in disgust. "How could you think of her that way Heikichi?! Have some decency."

 _Why are you getting mad at him? Monotokage is the one who's being disgusting._

"Teahahahaha~" Erena started laughing out loud. "That was kind of funny."

"How can you laugh at a time like this girl?" Kaiya asked, her eyes widening.

"I really did not want to!" Erena said, covering her mouth stifling a laugh. "But haha~ I cannot help it."

"I didn't think of her that way!" Heikichi defended throwing his arms up, his face reddening. "I'm not into animals, I'm not that nasty."

 _Weird how he didn't include robots in that statement. Frankly, I would not be all to surprised if he was into them._

"Some people are!" Leiko chastised, wagging her clawed finger. "Don't kink shame them!"

"Why are you even trying again," Isoyo asked, pointing at Monotokage. "Every other killing game has failed after the first."

"Again? This is my first time," Monotokage said, before looking bashful. "In both terms of the saying."

"Please stop with the lewd remarks," Isoyo requested.

"So, you're saying that you are not Junko?" Nene asked, furrowing a brow.

"Of course I am! I'd never want to be her," Monotokage said, sounding disgusted. "She and Monokuma are two pieces of shit."

 _Hmmm… not only is there someone else just as screwed in the head as Junko, but they also seem to hold a bit of disdain towards her, maybe even a grudge? I can only wonder why that'd be..._

"Then why are you starting a killing game? that's her idea, not to mention your design." Arishige asked. "Stealing products is a offense, can't you be more creative!? Where's the glorituitiveness?"

"Well, While they were terrible hosts for the games, the game itself was a fantastic invention, and so was Monokuma's design," Monotokage explained, placing a hand on her hip.

"But bears are cute, why a lizard?" Erena questioned, looking up inquisitively. "Not that lizards are not cute, but most people don't think so."

"Excuse me, I find that I am indeed cute to all," Monotokage said, twirling around. "And if you care that much, I'm a lizard because of, you know, I actually don't know, huh…"

"You said that Junko was not a good host, what do you um... mean by that exactly?" I questioned, rubbing my chin. "Her killing games became infamous for a reason after all."

"I mean that she's too lenient, and because of that, she is not able to show the game's true potential," Monotokage answered. "This time will be different, I will show her up on her own game, and make this the most spectacularly despairing game yet!"

 _I never imagined that the game could get even worse. Color me astonished and fearful._

"You're rotten!" Erena exclaimed with rage. "As rotten as a fruit left out for a year!"

"Hey! I'm as fresh as an bright red apple on the tree!" Monotokage growled, extending a claw. "I recently left the creator's table you know!"

"You're missing a few fashionable additions…" Arishige informed, stroking his white hair.. "How about I remake you, it'll be one thousand dollars by the by."

 _He still wants to make profit, even off of a freakin robot._

"I'm fine just the way I am! Stop judging my damn appearance you damn bozos!" Monotokage shouted in anger, her tail poised. "Just let me enjoy this, it's my first time you know?"

"You sound too happy about this..." Sukey commented, shaking her head with a saddened sigh. "You're just the worst, just like Junko, you rusty doorstop!

 _Interesting choice of insult… yet effective in a way... I guess..._

"Why would I not be, the Future Foundation dropped me such a wonderful birthday present, in the form of the last sixteen ultimates, allowing me this chance that I've been waiting for," Monotokage reasoned, looking pleased.

"Happy Birthday Monotokage!" Leiko exclaimed, clapping excitedly.

"I don't think it's really her birthday Leiko…" Norito said, sounding exasperated.

"Despite all this, no one is going to kill each other just to escape," Sozen said, before standing upright while putting a fist over his chest. "I will make sure of that."

"We came down here to avoid the outside world in the first place," Nene reminded, following with a frown. "A mistake of weakness on our part for seeking security."

 _That is correct, escaping would basically make the whole reason we're here in the first place null and void. None of us should want to escape, keyword is should._

"Heeeyy that's right, we cannot be that stupid to murder for that reason!" Juro realized, scratching his goatee.

"Even the lowest form of sentience agrees," Anzai commented, cleaning his glasses. "If that doesn't mean anything, then what does? Robots dreaming of chocolate unicorns? I think not!"

 _At least mostly everyone understands how meaningless escape is. However, I expect a motive to come into play later on as usual with these damn killing games._

"Hmm… seems you'll have to step your game up Monotokage," Kado told Monotokage, turning to her with a disappointed expression. "Wouldn't want to disappoint after all…"

"I will, I will, I meant what I said when I announced that this be the best killing game yet," Monotokage assured proudly. "Just so you kids know, your food is limited, as I'm not going to provide, yahehehehehe~"

"We have a garden with food in it," Rikako & Shuuyo mentioned. "We could just use that."

"Exactly! I know how to take care of one, so we'll be fine," Erena added, looking happy.

"I'll' just destroy it if you take too long," Monotokage growled. "I'll give it three days if you choose to never kill."

 _As I thought, she would never let it be easy, especially if she's trying to outdo Junko._

"There goes that…" Heikichi lamented, sounding despondent.

"Got any other bright ideas for me to shoot down?" Monotokage asked.

"We could just find a way out," Kaiya brought up with a shrug.

"Gahahahahaha!~ teenagers never cease to impress with their desperation," Monotokage chuckled, holding her stomach. "There ain't no way out other than creating the perfect crime."

"I do agree with her, why would there be any other way out?" I questioned, my eyes flitting around the room at everyone.

 _Yes, I agreed with her, but she has a point. We are sealed underground after all._

"Yeah, this place was built for our protection., Isoyo mentioned, biting her brush.

"Saying that there's another way out other than the vault door is like doubting Future foundation's competence in construction." Norito commented, shaking his head.

"Clearly they were not competent enough to keep out this filthy lizard," Arishige butted in, flicking his hair back.

"While desperation is pathetic, it's worth an attempt," Nene admitted with her eyes closed.

"Fine, be my guest, I'll be sure to enjoy watching you losers scramble about," Monotokage said, sounding annoyed. "Because nothing is more entertaining than seeing people try something that you know will never work, gahahahahaha~

"Allow me to give you a parting gift!" Monotokage announced as she tossed us all a device of some sort. "That is a handbook, it includes all sorts of useful shit, and allows you to access certain places."

I turned on the handbook, it booted up saying my name as it went to a screen with four options: Map, Participant info, Truth bullets, and options.

"Toodles!~" Monotokage said as her presence disappeared. If anything, I feel better without her being here.

"About time we have our space away from that bitch!" Juro commented, crossing his arms while curling his bottom lip.

"So what's our plan of action?" Heikichi asked, scratching underneath his beanie. "We going to search this place high and low?"

"Yes, but we should go in groups of three," Sukey suggested, touching one of her hair clippings.

"I see… hmhmhmhmhm~ you still fear that someone will do the deed don't you?" the twins pushed, covering their mouths with their fingers.

"It's better to be safe than sorry," Isoyo said.

"I can respect that. So who will go with who?" Sozen complied, closing his eyes while crossing his arms.

"I'll choose for us. Only because there are people who need to bond with one another, and trust is needed more than anything in this situation," Sukey offered with a happy expression.

"Can't wait to see how this plays out…" Masakado sneered, fumbling with his knife.

"The groups will be…" Sukey started, touching her chin in thought.

"Sozen, Juro, and I."

"Kaiya, Kado, and Arishige."

"Omezo, Isoyo, and Erena."

"Heikichi, Leiko, Anzai, and Shuuyo."

"Finally, Norito, Rikako, and Nene," Sukey finished, nodding her head.

"I cannot be separated from my sister," Shuuyo deadpanned.

"Yes, we should switch, I can't stand being without Shuuyo..." Rikako begged, looking very unhappy.

"Fine, Shuuyo can switch with Nene," Sukey gave in, with a warm smile.

"Wait, why do I get stuck with the creepy twins?" Norito asked, sounding annoyed.

 _It is worrying, the twins seem like the type of people to work together to commit murder...but I doubt they will try given the motive at the moment is just escape._

"You get what you get and you don't throw a fit!" Leiko chanted while bobbing her head left to right.

 _Of course she'd bring in schoolyard sayings._

"Do not fret, we will make sure our time together will be oh so much fun," the twins creepily stated.

"Now I'm going to have nightmares," Norito said while shaking. "And I'll have to bleach out my brain to be rid of them!"

"Let's just get on with it. No sense in wasting more time," Anzai scoffed with impatience.

We all got in our groups and headed out in different directions.

* * *

 **-Outside of elevator-**

My group ended up checking out the elevator used to enter this hell. Sozen, Juro, and Sukey were here as well.

"I don't think it's possible to pry that door open Juro," Sukey said, frowning.

"Can't say no until you try it!" Juro encouraged, punching his hand. "Come on Sozen, you're the strongest motherfucker here! With our combined strength we'll be capable."

"These are metal doors, advanced one's at that. Humans can only do so much," Sozen said.

"Someone needs to help, we fuckin' have no reason not to check!" Juro exclaimed through clenched teeth.

He looked towards us.

"Do you see any meat on our bones," Isoyo mentioned, rubbing her arms.

"Not even a predator would want to eat me, I'm all bones," Erena added, gesturing to her body.

"Writing is not an exercise in arm or body strength, so no can do," I mentioned, with a nervous grin.

"See mr. sheriff, just try it dude!" Juro encouraged. clenching a fist. "It won't kill you unlike staying down here for the rest of our fucking lives!"

With a sigh, both the boys stuck as much of their hands they could into the crease of the doors and pulled.

"Hrgg!" Sozen grunted, his muscles straining as he pulled back of the door, using his legs to push back as well.

"Haaahhh!" Juro growled as he did the same.

A few seconds passed as they grunted, with the door not budging at all. It looked kind of ridiculous, as if they were acting it. Erena also decided that it was funny enough to bust out laughing again.

*huff huff* "it's no use," Sozen said, looking weary. "All it did was injure our hands."

"Whatever, it was worth the effort," Juro said, sounding indifferent.

"I just wonder why they did not label this doorway, when the others were," Sukey mused.

"Must be confidential, or they forgot," Isoyo offered with a shrug.

"What about the elevator?" Erena asked pointing to the elevator doors.

"You cannot honestly expect-" Sozen muttered with disbelief, shaking his head.

Despite Sozen's words, the elevator did open up.

"Would ya look at that, the dumbass lizard forgot to lock the way out!" Juro exclaimed in a mocking tone.

"What are you waiting for, check it out," Sukey commanded, the curiosity leaking in her voice.

Juro stepped inside and pressed a button, probably the one that goes up. We waited and waited… and waited.

"Just as I thought," Sozen said, closing his eyes. "No criminal is that stupid."

"Then we should look elsewhere," Sukey suggested.

"Right!" Juro agreed, nodding his head while punching his fists together. "Waste no time!"

They made there way past us and out the door.

"This really blows huh guys?" Erena mused, playing with her hair with a frown.

"I wish that I had never left my home," Isoyo commented, looking down. "It was safer there than here."

"Let's try to avoid regretting our decisions, we can get through this, I hope…" I murmured with a half-hearted smile.

* * *

 **-Lounge-**

Entering the lounge, another group was already here. Kado, Kaiya, and Arishige were the ones here, but they did not look too busy.

"I don't think this qualifies as _looking for a means of escape_ ," Kaiya said, watching Arishige down a shot of cherry red wine.

"Drinking to the bottom of a bottle is how some people escape reality," Kado brought up, staring into the fireplace.

"True that," Arishige smirked, wiping his mouth with a napkin. "A splendiferino drink is all I need to get my mind back in shape."

"What are you doing Kaiya?" I asked, as she very closely examined the couch.

"There's the possibility of a secret path out of here, so I must search every object here," Kaiya explained, tearing off the cushions.

"Haha! Only a secret agent would consider that, good job!" Erena joyfully congratulated, clapping her hands.

 _Although, I don't think she'd be the only one to assume that._

"Not everything has to be a switch, this isn't a secret agent base or anything…" Isoyo mumbled, biting her brush.

"I'm not about to back down now," Kaiya said determined, turning the entire couch over.

"Hmph… look at that…" Kado examined, placing his knife under his chin as he looked at the fireplace.

"What did you find!?" Erena quickly asked with curiosity..

"Quick tell us dark one… I can't stand being down here without any willing customers any longer," Arishige commanded, cooling himself off with a portable fan.

 _He actually carries around a fan, wow._

"The valve turns the fire off and on, how interesting," Kado joked with sarcasm, twisting the valve above the fireplace left and right, making the flames rise higher and lower. "Impressive technology.

"Nice to see you're in a good mood…" I muttered under my breath, rolling my eyes.

"Let's just say that I am just as confident as Monotokage was about there being no way out other than murder," Kado said with a malicious smile.

"Don't say that!" Erena accused, pointing at Kado. "Nobody is killing anyone."

"So you say, I await the moment death approaches you, then you'll learn not to be so naive," Kado countered, smirking.

"Shut up," Isoyo said with a stern face. "If anyone's going to die, it'll be you with how much of a horrible person you are. Erena does not deserve death, unlike you."

"I only accept our fate, and wish to make the most of it," Kado admitted, touching the point of his knife, then looking at us innocently. "Can you really fault me for that?"

"He's right, while he may be taking this the wrong way, we shouldn't label him as someone to die," I spoke up.

 _Although, I really wish we could just silence him in some way, things could go awry with him running his mouth in such a manner._

"Yes, we have to try not to fall apart, that's how the other killing games became so horrific and despairing," Kaiya agreed. "Even if some people are less than inclined to work with us."

"Still, we cannot allow him to mess with us." Isoyo continued to push, crossing her arms.

"Cosmetics could solve this problem!" Arishige claimed, presenting a makeup kit.

"No they can't," I stated firmly.

"Hagh..." Arishige dramatically sighed. "This is precisely why I must leave this place, too much hatred for my products."

 _That should be the least of your concerns..._

"That better not be you considering offing one of us!" Kaiya accused with authority.

"He can't be considering that," Erena denied, biting her nails.

"Of course I'm not, what a horrendous accusation," Arishige said, sounding offended. "I can wait patiently until an alternative route is found."

"Well, I think we should move on now, they seem to have this place covered," I mentioned, gesturing to the door to the cafeteria for my group to follow.

* * *

 **-Cafeteria-**

"Thanks for defending me from Kado by the way," Erena said, looking towards Isoyo with a gracious smile.

"I just want us to avoid the fate many other ultimates faced, and it'd be easier without him pushing us," Isoyo explained, pulling down her hat.

"His tactics won't work, not now anyways, with everyone being determined to escape by any means other than killing," I mentioned.

"Put that down guys! Seriously," someone yelled out.

 _That sounded like Norito, is he alright?_

"Hmhmhmhm~" the familiar laugh of the twins echoed. "It's just a knife, what's to worry about."

"I'm warning you, I know how to use this mop!" Someone warned, with a combination of fear and confidence, if you can call it that.

 _Yep, that's certainly Norito… what exactly is going on over there in the kitchen?_

"Oh, but all it does is clean up messes," one of the twins stated.

"And we could do the same with it…" the other twins started.

"To soak your blood off the floor," both of them finished in a sinister tone.

One terrified shriek later, a fearful looking Norito ran out of the kitchen and directly into me, knocking me over.

"Agh… that was painful…" I grunted, standing back up, gripping my head.

"You really need to be more careful when running away in fear!" Erena chastised, pointing an accusing finger at Norito.

"How can you expect me to be focused enough, they just threatened to kill me!" Norito defended, wildy gesturing to where the twins are.

"We were just being playful, we said we'd make it fun, remember?" the twins said innocently as they walked up to us.

 _What is up with these two?_

"Yeah, and I said I'd have nightmares, so you made that true," Norito said, looking off into the distance.

"Isn't it better that way, it means that you'll never forget us, even in death," the twins said with a creepy smile.

"That's not the kind of thing I consider better," Norito said, placing a hand on his head with a bemused expression. "Having you two plague my dreams is far at the bottom of that list."

"You'll enjoy our attention eventually sweetie," the twins replied with a cute and innocent giggle.

"You two don't really know how your actions affect others," I said shaking my head while scratching my hair.

"No, we do, it's just that we find it endlessly amusing," they responded, both grinning. "This situation makes it all the more easier as well."

 _At this point, their love for creeping everyone out must be an obsession, maybe even a fetish… Did I really just assume that? All these people are rubbing off on me..._

"Do not start considering the killing game a good thing," Isoyo deadpanned, pointing at the twins with her brush.

"It's not in any way shape or form a good thing, and we know that," they confirmed, looking at each other.

"Me and my sis have just found a way to make good use of it's advantages," Shuuyo informed with a pleased smile.

"I'll never fully understand you two," I said with a nervous smile.

"I think I'm done working with them," Norito announced, grabbing the tip of his hat. "I'm going to scrub my room to calm down now."

"He should not go off on his own," Isoyo brought up, grasping her sleeves.

"Yeah, but he clearly needs time alone, besides, mother nature tells me that I can trust him," Erena said, putting a hand to her chest while closing her eyes.

"She spoke to you?" I asked skeptically.

 _That'd be some next level spirituality on a supernatural scale that I cannot believe to be possible._

"Not really, but I can feel it."

"That's pretty cool that you can do that Erena," Isoyo complimented.

"I'm glad you think so!" Erena thanked happily.

"Let's get back on track," I said, with a nervous grin.

We took the time to search around the cafeteria and kitchen. There was really nothing hinting at an escape. I did look inside the large freezer, but there was nothing but frozen meats in it. Everything is as it should be. With that over with, we went on to the dorm room.

* * *

 **-Ultimate Dorms 1st floor-**

When we arrived, I immediately noticed Nene, Leiko, Anzai, and Heikichi who was messing with some control panel.

"Remind me again why I am doing this," Heikichi requested as he observed his device.

"Because, there might be a secret portal out of here behind that panel!" Leiko exclaimed with determination. "How else could that demon lizard had gotten in here without anyone noticing."

"Not only is that one of the most idiotic assumptions, but you also did not take into consideration that no one could fit in there if there was a god forsaken portal." Anzai reasoned, the sheer annoyance was clear in his voice.

"What're you talking about? That's the only thing that makes sense!" Leiko said with a confused expression. "I know what I'm doing."

 _Knowing what you're doing doesn't constitute the fact that it's correct. That's called being in over your head._

"Why must I have been put here with you all…" Nene lamented with a facepalm. "I've never wanted to kill someone more in my life."

 _You chose to be here, don't start blaming anyone else other than yourself, of course, I'm not telling her that in fear of getting eviscerated._

"Well, if you do that then we'd know it was you and you'd be done for." Heikichi commented, looking over at Nene with a doubting expression.

"Which is why you are all lucky," Nene abruptly said with a scoff.

"I wouldn't say that, especially after what happened," I said with a frown.

"I hope that we can all agree that we find ourselves in a unfortunate situation," Isoyo said. "This is no work of luck one bit, and the only way it'll get better is if we get along..."

"See Nene, you just need to simmer down is all," Erena said in a comforting tone, as if Nene were an animal. "It's important for us all to keep ourselves together."

"When did you start taking things more seriously?" Heikichi asked, his brow furrowing as he scratched underneath his beanie. "When I first met you, you seemed carefree."

"I simply adapted, much like how nature adapts to its environment!" Erena said cheerfully, raising her arms up high.

"We fuckin' get it girl! You're a freakin biologist!" Anzai said, wearing sunglasses, then switching to the horn-rimmed glasses. "Enough with the nature references, who even goes outside these days when there's so many types of inside games to make use of."

"You're the only one complaining, she has no need to listen to you," Isoyo said, biting her bush. "Let her be herself."

"A turret better not appear again when I open this panel," Heikichi commented, pressing on his device.

"Now you're worried, before you did not seem to care," I mentioned, crossing my arms.

"It's more about failure then me being afraid of death," Heikichi informed.

"There might not even be anything useful behind it," Nene remarked, turning away from us. "This is all pointless."

"Heikichi, are you hacking into something!? That is a big no no!" Monotokage chastised, coming out of nowhere.

"Welp, looks like you're going to hell Heikichi!" Leiko exclaimed with unnatural happiness as if he was about to graduate.

"Wah!" Erena jumped up in fear.

"Yahehe~ I'm not actually going to punish you, since that panel is not hiding anything I care about," Monotokage said, sounding indifferent, placing a hand on her hip.

 _That's also something someone who is hiding something would say. Although, it is most likely just the controls to the chandelier or the lights maybe._

"Yes, because it's probably just the chandelier controls," Anzai inferred, cleaning his glasses with a cocky smile.

"Yup, that's the gist of it, so unless you really really need to lower the chandelier, you'll find your time wasted," Monotokage dissuaded, tilting her head.

"We've already wasted enough time," Nene said, crossing her arms with a frown.

"And we'll most likely never need access to the controls," Heikichi added.

"You guys love to go the full length when it comes to escaping dontcha'?" Monotokage mocked with joy, grabbing her stomach. "It's absolutely hilarious! Gahahahaha~!"

She then left.

"I'm conducting a search on my own," Nene announced, as she left the room.

"I'll be following miss Wakisaka's idea," Anzai said, switching to the monocle. " Since you lot are dreadfully below average intelligence."

He also left the room the same way.

"We aren't very good at this whole 'bonding' thing it seems," Heikichi said as he stopped attempting to hack into the panel. "I really don't need to bother with this anymore."

"I hope we can improve the relations, because I need more people to ship!" Leiko whined, curling her bottom lip.

 _There's better reasons for us to get along other than that, but I shouldn't expect anything else from her._

"To the second floor we go," I commanded, getting tired of this.

* * *

 **-Ultimate dorms 2nd floor-**

This time we were alone.

"Looks like we actually have to do something now," Erena commented, biting her nails.

"Good, we can't be useless the entire time after all," Isoyo said.

 _I have a feeling that the search in general is useless._

"Yeah, but um… all the rooms are accessed by our handbooks, so our options are limited up here," I reminded them, rubbing my chin.

"Why don't we try jumping down the laundry chute!" Erena suggested, gesturing to the chute.

"That's not a very good idea," I said with uncertainty, shaking my head.

"Why not, the chute is big enough for a person to fit in," Erena mentioned, not sounding convinced. "It's the only other way into the laundry room."

"Nope, not allowed!" Monotokage exclaimed, appearing suddenly, holding her arms up. "No living people are allowed to set foot in that room until I say so!"

She immediately disappeared.

 _Sooner or later, Monotokage will just get annoying with all this appearing out of nowhere just to screw with us or something. How could anyone find this entertaining?_

"Okay then, so much for that…" Isoyo said, biting her brush.

"Our rooms then?" Erena asked, putting a hand on her head.

"Even though I doubt it, it's best to be sure," I mused, closing my eyes.

We started with my room since it was the closest.

* * *

 **-Omezo's room-**

"Find anything Isoyo?" I asked, turning to her.

"Not really, tell me, do you have plans on writing anything while you're here, I can see that you have the equipment," Isoyo said, tilting her head.

"I might, if I keep track of everything that happens, it will allow no one to ever be forgotten if worse comes to worse," I answered with a shrug.

 _I never gave it much thought before, but it may prove to be helpful if I did record everything that happens here. The Future Foundation could use it to keep this from happening again, and maybe even find the mastermind even if we all die here._

"Please stop thinking like that, everything will be fine," Erena requested, her face deadpanning.

"Trust me, I want to avoid the worst just as much as you," I reassured, putting my hand up defensively.

 _But it's unavoidable at this point, as there is zero chance of another way out at this point in time._

We left my room to look into Erena's next.

* * *

 **-Erena's room-**

Inside Erena's room, I saw many pictures and diagrams of ecosystems, and animals. In the middle of the room sat a long table with many potted plants on it. Other than that, it looked the same as my room.

 _The room certainly matches it's owner. Which seems to be the case for every room. I wonder if there's any other rooms in this facility that were designed with us in mind..._

"Did you collect all these?" Isoyo asked, walking up to the table of plants.

"Yep, got them from the garden, it helps to have nature close to me," Erena replied sweetly, with a warm smile.

"They're are so beautiful when they're together like this," Isoyo complimented, petting one of the flowers.

"Aww, thank you!" Erena said with gratitude, clasping her hands together with a wide smile. "Nature is wondrous after all."

"There's a lot to take in, but I don't see anything of a means to escape in here," I said, looking down with a frown..

"Figures, I guess we should check my room now," Isoyo said.

* * *

 **-Isoyo's room-**

Her room contained many things used for sculpting, as expected it looked similar to the art room. It also had glass, clay, and stone sculptures representing many things, such as gods, goddesses, animals, plants, and landscapes. It reminded me of an art museum.

"These must be all yours with how beautiful they look," Erena remarked, observing one of the statues with curious intent.

"They are, I'm surprised that the Future Foundation made the effort to get them here," I said casually, poking a wooden sculpture of an eagle.

"I suppose they wanted to make it as comfortable here as they could for us," Isoyo mused, putting a pen up to her lips.

I wonder how things would have been without this killing game beginning," Erena covering what was most likely a frown considering how upset she sounded. "Why did that little pest have to ruin this?"

"Whatever reason she has, it most likely is not admirable or reasonable in any way," I assumed, pulling down on my scarf.

 _Just like it was with Junko, all to cause as much despair as possible to the whole world. That makes me think, what if this is also being recorded for public view… I doubt it, as that would alert the Future Foundation. So what is the mastermind's goal with this? It cannot be the same as Junko's… It may just be for their wicked entertainment._

With a bit of searching, we still came up with nothing. So we all left the dorms and into the garden.

* * *

 **-Botanical garden-**

"The more we look, the less I'm inclined to believe there's no other way out," I said, covering my mouth with my scarf.

"No losing hope yet Omezo! We still have the art room after this," Erena encouraged with a cheerful expression.

"Well, I never noticed anything off in there, and I saw every corner of the place," Isoyo informed, pulling down her hat.

"So what? We can mark that off, but we still need to have a looksie around here," Erena said, as she walked over to the center of the garden, gesturing us to follow suit.

 _As much as I tire from all of this searching every nook and cranny in existence, I should keep on pushing myself, only so I don't upset and disappointed Erena. I'll let her come to the realization that there's no other means of escape on her own, because I don't want to look like the bad guy._

Once again, another pointless search of our surroundings. The Future Foundation covered every nook and cranny, not that there was a chance for another entrance when we consider the fact that we're underground. Even if there was an opening, it'd just be dirt and stone, meaning we'd be digging our way out as if it's a prison escape.

"Ugh.. there's nothing but wonderful plant-life," Erena complained, her body slackening in defeat.

"The more I look around this garden, the more I want to replicate it," Isoyo commented, holding one of the flowers up to her nose. "Nature is just so… colorful and gorgeous."

"I know right!" Erena agreed happily, nodding clasping her hands together. "There's nothing that compares to the beauty of life itself!"

 _If it amounts to anything, the only good thing that came out of this whole ordeal was the friendship these two are forming._

"As much as I'm glad that you two are getting along, we still haven't found anything," I brought up, shaking my head.

"Then murder must be the only option, as Monotokage and Kado said..." Isoyo said, hiding behind her hat.

"Wait a second, the others might have found something! We still should have confidence. Come one!" Erena exclaimed, attempting to keep our spirits up.

Erena pulled us out into the designated meeting spot in the dorms.

* * *

 **-Ultimate dorms 1st floor-**

Not everyone was there yet.

"That's only fourteen…' Sukey counted, her expression turning grim as she looked around in a panic. "Where's Norito and Nene?!"

"Looks like they bit the dust," Leiko commented, lacing her hands behind her head. "Too bad!"

 _I really don't think they're dead, or more like, I hope they are not._

"Tch-" Anzai scoffed, crossing his arms with a indifferent expression. "Figures…"

"I'm here, relax," Norito said, calming us down as he walked up to us.

"What about Ne-" Heikichi was about to ask.

"I still breathe, so let's get this over with before I refuse to," Nene demanded, not even bothering to look at us as she arrived.

"Stop being such a downer all the time," Kaiya said, frowning.

"She can say whatever the hell she wants!" Juro exclaimed in her defense, clenching his teeth.

"I don't need your defense, especially from a pathetic idiot," Nene remarked, with a hint of disdain in her voice. "If I had wished to fight her, I will do it on my own merit."

"If you want to duel, we can duel," Kaiya challenged. "I do have a fancy dancy pen that also classifies as a deadly laser sabre!"

 _What's with her and these random gadgets? How many did she even bring here? Or were they provided for her..._

"We are not supposed to be meeting up here to watch a fight," Sukey dissuaded, as Nene went to withdraw her rapier.

"I don't know… it could've made for a dramatic anime fight scene," Isoyo commented. "Perfect for me to re-enact through a sculpture."

"It's so easy for humans to get off track isn't it?" Kado said, spinning his knife around with a smirk. "I'd say let the dogs fight for some much needed bloodshed, that's what we're here for."

"No, there will be none of that, not a single drop of blood will stain these halls while I'm still around," Sozen stated stoically, posing with his fist to his chest.

 _Sozen's painting himself as our guardian now. I guess he best fits that role, but how much could one man stop in a situation such as this? I'm sure many have tried but failed._

"Saying things like that will get you killed man," Heikichi commented, looking over at Sozen with a worrying expression. "I think it's called a death flag right?"

 _Great, now he's using lingo similar to Leiko. Is it a disease or something?_

"So, did anyone find anything worth noting?" Sukey asked, getting us back on track.

The room fell silent for a bit.

"I found chicken wings!" Leiko happily announced breaking the silence that filled the room, waving her hand in the air excitedly.

 _Are you serious? This fucking girl..._

"How's that relevant?" Heikichi questioned sounding astonished, scratching his ear.

"It's relevant to delectable meals when we stay down here for the rest of our lives!" Leiko exclaimed, with a happy expression.

"You need to learn when to not be happy or excited," I said, with a small smile of amusement.

"Why bother, it's clear she suffers from a brain disease of some kind," Anzai commented, pushing up his glasses with a forefinger.

"We still don't have to quit now, there's much more we can do!" Erena exclaimed, trying her damndest to hold on to whatever hope she has.

"It's too late for that now, besides, there's obviously nothing to find…" Heikichi remarked tirelessly, leaning on his hand.

"This place is as clean as a whistle," Norito added, twirling the soap on his necklace.

"It is pretty hopeless," the twins admitted, looking mildly despondent. "To continue such a futile search."

"We have to keep trying, it's important for us to work together like an proper and thriving ecosystem!" Erena kept the act going, sounding more and more desperate. "Otherwise, we'll fall apart."

 _That was quite a profound statement, but it's intentions are unlikely to affect anyone at the moment. Give us a week or so and yeah, we'll probably get along by that point, but only if no one dies, which I fear is coming up on the horizon once a new motive is brought into the game._

"No thanks, Leiko's too tired right now, us demons need time to rest in order to recharge our spiritual energy!" Leiko said with a dumb look on her face, then proceeding to go up the stair.

"B-but-" Erena stammered, her expression turning to dismay.

"I'm out, this has been too much of a damn effort for nothing," Juro followed suit.

"Finally, people have something to say that I agree with," Anzai said, sounding absolutely relieved. "Ta-ta!"

"Beauty sleep is very important for me to keep being fabulous everyday," Arishige informed, brushing his hair with a frown. "So I'm quitting."

One by one, people left to their rooms, until it was just me, Sukey, Isoyo, Erena, and Kado left.

 _It surprises me that Kado remained here with us. He probably has nothing good to say though, if his previous statements haven't proved that enough._

"Why are you still here Kado?" Sukey asked with vehemence, asking my thoughts basically.

"Only to say this," Kado answered, turning to Erena and Sukey. "It impresses me that you two have the wherewithal to try to unify us, but it seems that you'd have to lie in order to succeed in doing so."

"If that's what it takes," Erena admitted with determination and a straight face.

"However, nobody is going to trust anyone now that it's clear what the means of escape is," Kado explained, staring directly into her eyes, a certain darkness filling them as well. "If you wish to leave, then create the perfect crime, that's what it's all about now." he then left as well.

 _He's right, that was no lie. It's either murder and get away with it, or slowly wither away down here._

"Sukey, at least tell me that you wish the same as I do," Erena inquired, sounding expectant. "That it's imperative we get along, that's how species thrive, when they're together."

"I would expect you to, I know how much you value your bond with your bands," I commented, rubbing the back of my neck.

"Except this isn't the same, it's not about playing music together. My talents won't help here…" Sukey admitted, defeated, her shoulders slumping. "So, I'm just going to quit for now."

She walked away from us and up the stairs.

"Don't worry Erena, I still trust you," Isoyo said, putting a hand to her heart. "You too Omezo."

"I assume that only stretches to us and not the others," I guessed with a unsure smile.

"Well… sort of, I don't know what to think of them yet," Isoyo admitted, biting her brush. "But I'm sure that can change with time and effort on all of our parts."

"Well, it pleases me to see you can consider me trustworthy," Erena said with a smile, her wyes lighting up again, before losing it once more. "I just wish the others we more compliant."

"I also see you and Omezo as a friend," Isoyo continued, adjusting her hat.

"Isn't that a bit to trusting?" I asked Isoyo, rubbing my chin. "You only just met Erena today, and I've only met with you twice, between a 5 year gap."

"I don't care if it is or not, I don't think anyone will commit such a terrible act to another human being," Isoyo said. "I can see how good you two are as people."

"It's so beautifullllll!" Erena complimented as she teared up, using her sleeve to wipe her eyes. "So well said Isoyo, you're just too nice..."

"I don't get it," Isoyo said, biting her brush.

"We should get some sleep though, it's important to relax now more than ever," I said, rubbing my temple with a yawn.

 _To be honest, I don't know if I can even sleep with the killing game in mind. I may have made some sort of trusting bond with those two, except I'm not sure it will mean anything in the end._

With that, the rest of us headed to our rooms.

* * *

 **-Omezo's room-**

 _I've been trying to hold this feeling of the world falling collapsing on top of me, but I could not shake it any longer. It felt as if I was floating in an endless void as I lay here on my bed. Everytime I close my eyes, I can't help but see the malicious expression of that damned lizard. I may try to find solace in the fact that no one here is that desperate to escape, but I know how these killing games work, there will always be a new motive, and that's when someone finally breaks. It's like a broken record almost, motive, death, motive, death. It's how I was told it went anyways._

Luckily, I managed to fight back those thoughts, and seep into a deep sleep.

* * *

 _ **Monotokage's nonsensical theatre of nonsensical shit**_

 _Monotokage is seen sitting on a fancy stage, with red curtains behind her._

" _I know what you're thinking…"_

" _Oh, Monotokage is just jacking Monokuma's style! There's no originality!"_

" _Well fuck you!"_

" _This is not stealing, I'm simply transforming an existing idea by improving upon it while fixing up what the dumbass creator fucked up!"_

" _Besides, the killing game was never trademarked, so I'm not infringing on anything!"_

" _In fact, I now officially trademark the killing game! Yeah! Take that Monokuma! Bow down and lick my mechanical ovaries you lousy chew toy!"_

" _Wazzat…?"_

" _Spike Chunsoft owns the rights, and they're going to lawsuit me?"_

" _Well shit!"_

" _I should have broken the 4th wall sooner…_

* * *

 **Review responses**

Pokemansuperallstar: While I do agree that Monokuma is the ultimate danganronpa mascot, he's not here today. Don't worry though, Monotokage isn't too much different than him, so she'll be just as good.

Katastic Writer: They'll be plenty to learn about everyone, so it's good you're looking forward to that.


	4. Chapter 1-2: How the Water Flows

My head was killing me to say the least. A show of how terrible I slept last night, it comes as no surprise considering all that happened. I heard someone knocking on my door, never stopping as I dressed. It was very annoying to hear that for 5 whole minutes. Whoever it is must have a lot of energy.

"I'm awake, what is it?" I asked through the door, rubbing my eyes.

"Glad to see my bro ain't dead yet!" a voice, clearly belonging to Juro shouted back at me.

 _Of course, who else would be the one to wake me up other than the loudest person here._

I opened the door up to see Juro standing there with a smile.

"Seems like you slept well." I commented at his energetic attitude.

"Like a fuckin' baby!" The blonde exclaimed, lacing his arms behind his head. "Unlike most of you, I was able to deal with all the pressure this game is puttin on us."

"Let me guess, I have to head to the cafeteria?" I mused, still trying to wake up.

"Exactamundo my dude!" Juro said, giving me a thumbs up. "You are the only one who's been a no show."

 _Jeez, what am I, a protagonist or something? Figures I'd be the last to awake._

"Don't just stand there like a dumbass! Let's get a move on!" Juro demanded, pushing me out the door.

* * *

 **-Cafeteria-**

Sure enough, the other were all here, some eating, and others just sitting around. I noticed that almost nobody sat next to each other. The only ones who were was Isoyo and Erena.

 _They are really becoming fast friends, I guess they truly meant what they said then. It's too bad that trust rarely lasts that long in these games._

With an exasperated yawn, I went to grab some food from the kitchen. This time, Bacon, and pancakes were on the menu, along with any type of drink you could think of. I took some coffee, and chose to drink it black. I sat down at a table that Leiko, Sukey, and Arishige were sitting at. I decided not to sit too close to any of them.

"Black coffee? Not much of a interesting person are you?" Arishige criticized, catching a whiff of my coffee.

"Uh… I don't think you can judge people that way because of what flavor of coffee they prefer." I responded with a small frown.

"But surely you must admit that most interesting and fabulous people add vanilla and sugar to theirs, maybe even food coloring!" Arishige convinced, tapping his coffee cup with a smile.

"I'm assuming that you do that, judging by your pink colored coffee," I commented, catching a glimpse of his drink.

 _What the heck is up with this guy? He's so obsessed with over-blowing anything he says or does. At this point, I wouldn't be surprised is he found a way to make his blood rainbow colored or something ridiculous like that._

"Exactly, and I'm such a more ultilitastic man than you," Arishige boasted, taking a sip of the pink coffee.

 _How nice of you to say, but I really could care less._

"Or you could be like Leiko and dump six packets of sugar into your coffee," Sukey offered, gesturing towards the demonologist who had multiple empty packets of sugar on the table next to her coffee.

"What? Sugar gives me demonic power!" Leiko exclaimed, acting like everyone should know that.

"Yeah, but it would not even be coffee any more," I said with a perplexed look. "Just a cup of sugar with some liquid thrown in."

"I'm pretty sure the demonic power she is talking about is sugar rush," Heikichi piped up, shaking his head.

Juro then sat himself down across from me.

 _Oh great… he probably has another pointless plan to swoo Nene. Except this time I will not play a part in it._

"You see how Nene is sitting there all by herself?" He questioned, looking towards the fencer sitting alone at the table in the corner of the room. She didn't look all to happy at the moment.

 _I was right._

"Yes, and she looks like she's about to rip off someone's head," I observed, running my hand through my hair.

"That's not what was crossing my head, I think she's in need of a real charmer," Juro explained, clicking his tongue.

 _No,what she needs is a chill pill and a psychiatrist._

"Don't try this again, you know what happened last time," I reminded him.

"But I cannot just quit there! Part of swooning a girl is showing your unbrittled determination!" He exclaimed with confidence.

"Then don't let me stop you," I said, shaking my head. "Just make sure you don't use the wrong words."

 _Because he should have used unbridled in that last sentence instead of unbrittled. Although, it sort of worked in a way..._

"Hah!" Juro scoffed, as he strutted towards Nene, and she was already glaring daggers towards him.

"We may not have gotten off on the best terms but let me tell you this…" Juro started with confidence in his words.

Nene's hand went to her rapier's grip.

"For all the diamonds I've seen, you've been the most pristine of them all," Juro complimented looking pleased with himself.

"That's it?" Nene asked, her eyes narrowing marginally. "Is that really what you came up with?"

Juro eyes went wide for a second, looking unsure of himself. "Yeah, pretty much."

Suddenly, Nene tossed her tray at his face, hard enough to cause him to stumble and slip on on a pancake that fell off his face after it made contact with it.

 _And he had a day to think of that one, fantastic job Juro, you truly are an impeccable human being._

"Ohoohowowowo! Shit!" Juro grunted in pain, as he slowly stood back up. He shook wiped his face clean and brushed off his clothes. "Should have seen that coming…"

"Let that be a lesson to never speak to me again, or next time it'll be my rapier that goes through your face," Nene warned, glaring angrily at him before leaving the cafeteria.

"Seems you made a mistake choosing her as your target," Sozen commented with a smirk.

"Now you just look like a mess," Kaiya said, stifling a laugh. "If I had my Super Washer 9000, I could help you, but too bad, I didn't bring it."

"010101010101010" Heikichi mimicked binary code with a disappointed expression. "Her gift to you was her leftovers, so at least you have that."

"Don't worry Juro! The cleanliness hero will make sure you return to a sparkly clean appearance!" Norito assured in a heroic tone, jumping over to him.

"But the showers are closed off," Isoyo mentioned.

"Hmhmhmhm~ seems like he'll be stuck with the stains of how much of a hopeless romantic he is," The twins said with a mocking laugh.

"Can't Monotokage spare us the showers at least this one time!?" Norito begged.

 _I doubt that she cares at all, it'd be more likely that she'd ban the use of water in response._

"Sure, they are unlocked for all your leisure and pleasure!" Monotokage announced, arriving suddenly.

 _Nevermind…?_

"Really!?" Erena asked with excitement. "I never expected you to be so gracious."

"No!" The lizard responded indignantly, facepalming. "Sheesh, learn to identify a lie once in a while."

"I knew it was a lie," Kado commented, putting a finger up to his lips. "After all, I'm a cult leader so naturally I know a lie when I see it."

"You lot clearly need to be more like Edgelord over there! He knows what's up," Monotokage suggested as she disappeared.

 _No one should be like him, otherwise we'd all end up killing each other the first day._

"Great, seems like she'll be popping up at random from now on to obliterate my brain cells," Anzai complained, rubbing his forehead.

"Looks like I'll just have to mop you down Juro," Norito told the soccer player, readying his mop.

"Fuck that! I don't want to be cleaned by another man!" Juro said, rejecting the janitor's offer, crossing his arms. "I'll just change my damn clothes and get on with my life."

"I can't help but feel jealous of those two over there," Sukey said, looking over at Erena and Isoyo. "They seem like real friends, and it's only been a day since they've met."

"More like they are too trusting of one another," I said, furrowing my brow. "It's unbelievable how they became friends this quickly in a killing game."

 _That sounded ruder than I intended it to be, but it just does not make sense to me._

"The only couple that should be that way right now, is me and my sis," Rikako added.

"Their relationship is just unnatural in way," Shuuyo commented.

"Maybe Isoyo is just manipulating Erena's naivety so that she can easily kill her with her guard down," Kado offered with a sneer.

 _I cannot really deny that possibility, they did only begin this whole friendship after the game was announced, in fact, it could even be the other way around as well… Geez, am I really thinking that? I can't start agreeing with Kado of all people..._

"Is it really that hard to grasp," Isoyo said, shaking her head. "Me and Erena just complement each other perfectly, like red and black or blue and white."

"Before we all decide to part ways, there is a few things that should be discussed," Sozen said, his expression turning serious. "For one, how about we meet in here every morning."

"That sound like a good idea, it'll allow us to make a head count, as well as make any plans," Sukey agreed, nodding her head.

"Also, I will be in charge of all the cleaning necessities," Norito volunteered, spinning his mop around, he nearly hit himself in the face with it in the process.

"Norito, you don't need to put that all on yourself," Sukey said sympathetically, frowning.

"Nonsense! It's how I deal with stress, plus, I enjoy it," Norito said cheerfully. "Nothing like a good floor buffering to make my day you know?"

 _Normally, I wouldn't think one person could handle all the cleaning every single day, but with Norito, I'm pretty sure he can handle it all better than all of us even working together to clean, considering how this place looks right now, which was his doing._

"How can a man enjoy cleaning all the damn time?" Juro questioned, scratching the back of his head with a look of confusion.

"Are you saying only girls can enjoy that?" Erena accused with an angry expression.

"That is wrong to believe, everyone can like anything, no matter the gender," Isoyo said, grabbing the tip of her hat.

"I did not mean it like that!" Juro huffed out, his teeth clenching. "Women can be just as badass as men!"

 _He really just needs to stop talking at this point. All he does is just annoy or disappoint people when he does._

"Anyways, are we all in agreement with the meeting up in the cafeteria every morning?" Sozen asked with a sigh.

"I can deal with that," Heikichi said, messing around with his device . "It's smart to rendezvous with one another in situation like this."

"What do we do about our food supply situation?" I questioned, tapping my chin. "We should probably limit ourselves so we can last as long as needed down here."

"I have access to some cool food products which could help out," Kaiya brought up. "All you need to do is add water and then you can grow a pizza or something."

"That sounds like it'd be less than appetizing," I grimaced, imagining how gross food like that would taste.

 _It'd probably taste like food rations in the military, which is quite terrible as I have tried them before._

"It has all the nutrients you could need though," Kaiya defended, holding a finger up.

"I will not eat anything without splendidly perfect taste!" Arishige exclaimed with a huff of disapproval, but then he gained a thoughtful expression. "Unless it does actually…"

"No, it tastes pretty terrible, like as if you found the food on the bottom of a shoe," Kaiya admitted with a discerning look. "Plus, I don't have an infinite amount of them either."

 _Really? That's even worse than what the military rations taste like. I guess whoever gave Kaiya that trash didn't care about pleasantries, which leads me to believe it was Monotokage._

"So it seems that we should ration our food consumption or else we'll end up eating what amounts to dirt," Sozen concluded, closing his eyes in thought.

"I don't think I can go on like that!" Leiko exclaimed in distress. "I need all three meals plus snacks in between, otherwise I'll go insane in the brain!"

 _I'm pretty sure you are already insane Leiko… But I really don't want to see if she could get worse._

"The garden still exists, so we could probably get away with normal meals while it's there," Erena reminded us.

"The problem is that we have sixteen people to feed, and all of them eating normally can really do a number on the supply," Sozen explained, frowning.

"All the more reason for death," Kado said with a smirk, playing with his knife. "With less live bodies to feed, the food supply will drain slowly."

"You need to stop bringing that crap up!" Juro yelled in anger, waving his fists wildly. "I can easily shut your insane ass up real quick!"

"It is a solution though, the less important ones can kill themselves and we can continue to live and have way better meals," Anzai reasoned, admiring his reflection in his medal, then he put on the sunglasses. "This is a dog eat dog world now! Much like tha' streets of rage I dominate!"

 _Those two are really making it hard to ignore the killing game, but there's always the ones that are antagonistic, and we'll just have to deal with that._

"We are not doing that," Sozen denied with vehemence and a scowl. "Though, I suppose we can wait until the garden is eventually destroyed by Monotokage till we begin rationing."

"Someone would need to tell Nene about what we discussed," Sukey mentioned.

"Who's doing it?" Heikichi asked quickly before holding a hand out dismissively. "I'm certainly not interested in getting maimed by her."

"Whoever goes risks their life," The twins snickered. "She seems like she's ready for a bloodbath after all."

"I think we should send Kado to do it, he can handle her!" Leiko suggested. "Anyone else would just be sent to their execution!"

 _As bad it is may sound, it may be for the best if he does get killed by her. However, I really don't want to have to put Nene though one of those fucked up executions._

"I have no objections to that." Kado agreed, getting up and slowly making his way to where Nene trumped off to. "I'll tame that demon witch of a girl."

"In the meantime, we should all work on bonding with one another," Sukey suggested with a warm smile, putting her hand to her chest. "It's imperative that we are able to come to an understanding with everyone if we are to make it out of this."

 _Sukey is still trying after all… but I do doubt that the others will actually listen._

"For sure!" Erena cheered on. "We should all strive to be like a family!"

Eventually, everyone scattered and I found myself back in my room.

* * *

 **-Omezo's room-**

 _I really don't have much to do right now. Maybe I should begin trying to bond with the others as Sukey suggested._

I had no clue who to talk to, so I just hoped that I'd run into someone once I walked outside, and that person was Norito.

"Sup Omezo, I was just collecting some dirty clothes," Norito greeted with a friendly smile. "You know, just my daily good deeds."

 _Guess this is who I'm spending my time with, not that I mind. At least it wasn't Anzai or someone similar._

"Actually, I have a question for you," I mentioned, stopping him in his tracks.

"Well, what it is then?" Norito asked impatiently.

"What made you enjoy cleaning so much?" I questioned, rubbing my chin. "It just seems odd how much manual labor you love to do."

"It all began… no I'm not going that far back." Norito chuckled. "To be honest, I never liked the idea of having to get down and dirty with all the mud and stains of the world."

"Really? So it's something you did not choose to do," I said, my eyes widening with curiosity.

"At first, yeah, that was the case, until I got in big trouble," Norito said, pulling his hat down.

"What kind of trouble are we talking about?" I asked, my brows furrowing.

"Just a little scuffle with the ole bully in school, while he was being a douche to some kid I gave him the big whapping with the janitor's mop that was nearby," He explained proudly, making a slicing motion with his mop. "Really wiped the smug look of his face!"

 _So he has actually rescued someone before, and how ironic that it was with a mop._

"Of course, the janitor noticed this and accused me of assault and I was sent to the principal's office," He continued. "You should be able to guess what my punishment was."

"Cleaning duty right?" I guessed, crossing my arms with a slightly amused grin.

"Right on! He told me that I ought to learn how to use the mop the way it was intended to be used."

"So how did that make you enjoy cleaning though?" I asked with a puzzling glance. "I personally would hate it after that."

"Well, you see, as I was learning the ropes from the janitor, I realized that I did not hate it that much," Norito said with a lax shrug, before puffing his chest out. "I even went as far as to clean up the whole school to near perfection!"

"That must have taken the entire day," I assumed with a look of concern.

"Nah, I did it in a few hours," He brushed off, rubbing the back of his head. "Seeing the super pleased look on the principal's gave me the hope that cleaning is where my life should be, since normally, he looks like a real debby downer."

"That's why you um... decided to make a living out of janitorial duties then?"

"Yup, I love seeing how just cleaning up the world can make someone happy you know," He said with a pleased smile.

"Huh… I uh... never thought such a low paying job could make anyone happy," I mused with bewilderment.

"Low paying? I actually made a whole lot of money with all the service I provided, guess I must make all the lousy school janitors jealous then," He said, letting out a short laugh. "Even if I did not make any money, I'd still be doing it anyways, because I don't care how looked down upon janitors are as long as people appreciate what I do."

"I never considered looking at it at that angle," I said, rubbing my chin. "You really are special aren't you?"

"Yeah, that's what I'm always told," He said, smirking with amusement, he then struck a pose with his mop. "Just remember that you can always count on the cleanliness hero to scrub up your life with a spray here and there!"

"I guess I'll be keeping that in mind..." I told the janitor, with a small smile.

He nodded, and continued collecting the dirty clothes from the other rooms.

 _I'd never imagined that someone would be so inclined for such a… minimalist and crummy job, but hey, everyone's got something strange to them. I just wonder what he originally planned to do, seeing that it was not his first choice._

I still had time left so I decided to check out if anyone was in the art room.

* * *

 **-Art room-**

As I expected, I saw Isoyo in here, working on something that I could not quite see. I tried to get a better look but she noticed me and covered it up with a white cloth.

 _Hmmm, wonder why she is determined to hide whatever it under that cloth… I sincerely hope she's not planning something drastic._

"No peeking, this project will be a surprise for everyone," She said straight faced, pointing her brush at me.

"That's fine, It's not why I'm here though," I said holding my hands up defensively.

"Then are you here to spend time with me," She pressingly asked.

"Precisely," I answered, flipping my scarf around my neck..

"Great. It's wonderful that you are taking Sukey's suggestion to heart," Isoyo said, clasping her hands together.

 _To be honest, it's only because I have nothing better to be doing right now._

"Yeah, but you and Erena are miles ahead of us…" I said with a dry chuckle while pulling at my scarf.

"Believe me, I never thought I'd get along with someone so well…" She admitted, looking away from me. "Let alone someone so expressive."

"I remember you saying that you were expressive, yet from what you just said, it sounded like you don't think that at all," I inquired, raising a single brow.

"I… well you see… I am expressive just not physically," She began, grabbing some clay. "But I know what I should look like as you saw."

"Why though? Why are you so straight faced all the time?" I questioned, my brow furrowing.

"Because, I don't like to express myself through my facial expressions," She answered, biting the end of her brush, then she molded the clay face to look cheerful. "Instead, I use art to do so!"

 _I mean, that's sweet and all, but I still don't understand._

"But what's the point of hiding your emotions? Can't you move your own face?" I pushed the matter as my questioning gaze bore into her.

"Uhhhhh…" She molded the clay into a face of nervousness. "It's… a long story, sort of…not really.."

I crossed my arms. "Then let's hear it."

"Okay… I can't promise that it'll be interesting," She said as she pulled her hat down over her face.

 _I can tell that she's just trying to hide something. Sorry Isoyo, but I really just have to know._

"No, I'm engaged, you have my eyes and ears," I assured her, tapping my foot. "You're not going to kill off my intrigue by stalling."

"Alright… here I go…" She started, delaying her words with long pauses, she also changed the clay face to look reluctant. "I actually have…"

"Go on…" I motioned her to continue while nodding my head.

" ...a disorder that makes me unable to properly express myself through my words and face," She finally gave in, looking down while she said it. "Do you perhaps know what I'm talking about."

I took a moment to think, then it came to me. "Alexithymia?" I guessed.

"Yup, that's the name," She confirmed, giving the clay face a small smile.

"I presume that's why you became an artist then? To be able to express yourself."

"Yuppers," Isoyo confirmed, altering the face to have a happier expression, then changing it to look apathetic. "I was just so sick and tired of sounding so emotionless , with no way to show that I'm human."

She molded the face to look determined as she continued her story. "So many people saw me as a robot or whatever and I wanted to disprove them."

 _Huh, what a reason for becoming ultimate, what a reason indeed… I can admire that. It's storybook levels of backstory, an artist whose unable to express true emotion, so they use art as a medium for their emotion._

"I can see why that would make you so determined then," I said with a sympathetic look. "But why choose 3-dimensional art over the other styles?"

"You know what the first thing I made was," She suddenly asked.

"I haven't a clue as to what you are referring to."

"It was a statue, made to represent my love and care for my family, since I could never show it before," She said, changing the face to have a warm smile, as if it was remembering a nice memory.

"That must have made them very happy."

"Of course, and proud as well," she said. "As for why I chose 3-dimensional as my style of choice, well, there's just a lot more you can do with the style when you wish to express an emotion or meaning, plus, it makes them feel more human, which in turn makes me feel more human."

"Things always seem to have deeper meaning behind them, but I never noticed that in your art," I commented, frowning slightly. "Maybe I'm just ignorant or something."

"That's because I don't like telling people about my disorder," She informed, changing the face to look understanding. "So you don't have to feel bad for not seeing it."

"But you can thank it for making you an ultimate," I said, chuckling slightly. "Funny isn't it? The thing that nearly ruined your life, gave you one in the end."

 _At the very least, the whole ultimate ideal helped someone._

"I guess so…" Isoyo said, molding the face's expression to that of uncertainty. "Now that you brought up the word ultimate, I do want to know why you reacted the way you did when I said it's great that we are ultimates."

 _I'd rather not answer that, but I need to give her something, she did tell me her own secret after all._

"Let's just say that not everyone likes their talent enough to want to do it the rest of their life," I answered indignantly.

"I see…" She said, changing the face to look sad in a way. "Can I kindly ask you to leave so that I can finish my art project."

"Sure, be seeing you then," I said as I left the room.

 _I'm surprised that I didn't realize that she had a disorder earlier, I guess I was just so caught up in all the strange personalities that I just figured she was doing it on purpose. It is quite saddening to think that she could never experience real emotion. It really shows that art can be useful in other ways other than just to look at._

I still had time to kill, so I continued attempting to find the others.

* * *

 **-Lounge room-**

Upon entering the room, I caught sight of Sozen smoking away at a cigar. Now, I know Arishige had engaged in underage drinking before, but I never expected to see Sozen of all people breaking the law.

"I can tell that you are silently judging me Omezo," Sozen somehow guessed without even looking at me.

 _What? How'd he know I was even here?_

"Can you blame me? I figured that you were pretty upfront on the law, but here you are smoking as a teenager," I said with a skeptical stare.

"Yeah, well, maybe I'm just trying to look like I mean business," Sozen joked with a playful shrug.

"Oh, uh… I see," I mumbled with a confused expression "That's as good a reason as any I suppose."

"Are you just going to believe whatever I say because I serve the law?" Sozen asked, with a unamused glare and a frown.

"People are meant to after all, so I should right?" I said with an unsure look plastered on my face.

"Tch- doesn't mean that you can't ignore that ideology," He scoffed, shaking his head after taking out his cigar and putting it out against the counter. "But you shouldn't expect me to be the epitome of every good in the world. I do know how to have fun just like any average person."

 _He's kind of a rebel then… wasn't expecting that._

"I can see that, but laws are laws," I commented with a shrug.

"And some are meant to be broken, especially the overly ridiculous ones," He reasoned, giving me a grin. "The law is beyond perfect, believe me."

"You're not as uptight as the world makes you out to be," I said, putting my hands on my hips with a small smile.

"That's just how the community decides to treat the law, and now you know that was just an overblown rumor," He explained. "I for one, don't care if you decide to drink or anything while we're down here when there's nobody telling me to uphold you."

"Not that I'd actually be doing anything illegal in the first place, but I know at least one person is happy about your leniency," I said.

"So long as everyone knows I will not allow any murder or assault to occur," He said, his expression turning darker and more serious. "Those will never escape my eye."

"I hope they don't... " I muttered under my breath. "But I don't think it'll be avoidable.".

Once the silence fell in, I waved him goodbye as I left the lounge.

 _Turns out I misjudged Sozen quite bit. While he comes off as a very serious and stoic man, he can be chill at times. It's just strange how he even rebels a bit towards the law even though his whole talent revolves around it._

There was a bit of time left in the day for me to spend with someone else.

* * *

 **-Ultimate dorms 2nd floor-**

I found myself wanting to speak with Sukey, so I approached her room's door and knocked on it. A few moments later she opened up the door and her eyes quickly widened in surprise.

"Oh, Omezo!" Sukey gawked, putting her fingers over her mouth in shock. "I wasn't expecting you to be at my door."

"Yeah uh… what can I say?" I nervously scratched the back of my head. "I just... wanted to throw away some time with someone I um... trust, if that's okay with you?"

"Of course it is, you can come on in," She said with a smile, moving out of the way as I entered her room.

* * *

 **-Sukey's room-**

Much like the other rooms, this one was themed after the owner's talent. While there wasn't any instruments in here, there was sheet music spread out on the table in the room, pictures out different classical bands and directors on the walls, and the walls themselves seemed to represent different songs as if they were musical sheets themselves.

"You know Sukey… I am surprised that Erena has you beat in terms of encouraging us to stick together," I commented, leaning back against the door. "I figured you'd be the first on the case with that."

"I know, I know, as a band director, I often need to get all my band members to bond with one another, otherwise they'll sound worse," Sukey said with a dry smile as she sat down on the bed. "But this isn't about music, and that's why I fall short."

"Why is that?" I inquired, arching a brow.

"For one, we all have different interests and motives, so it's hard for us to find a medium," She explained, hugging her arms with her head down low. "And two, I haven't been without music for more than a day before, so I'm a bit on edge."

"So this must be affecting you quite a lot then, to be away from your bands."

"Of course it is, despite all that is going on outside, I was still able to stick with one of my bands," The band director said, leaning on a hand.

"Then why come here if you miss them so much?" I questioned.

"They wanted me to, and who am I to deny their requests," She replied, her lips pulling into a thin smile. "It's clear they wanted to repay me for my hard work with them, and that repayment was me being safe."

"Do you at least see any chance that we'd get along down here?"

"All I see here is too many out of tune people, like a gaggle of clarinets shrieking into the heavens," She said, holding her face in her palms. "I'm talking about squeaking by the way, the bane of my existence."

"Um… what about Erena and Isoyo?" I mentioned with uncertainty. "They are the fastest friends that I've ever seen."

"And I wish them luck in keeping their friendship strong," She answered, before looking defeated. "But they're just two out of the 16 of us."

"You have a point there," I agreed, thinking for a moment. "What about the twins? Don't they have the closest relationship out of all of us?"

"Yes, except they are sisters, so of course they do, plus, they are essentially the same exact person, and not only that, they are part of the discord that shakes my hopeful melody off course," She lamented, shaking her head with a frown. "They don't give me any confidence."

"Sounds like you have a lot to deal with," I said sympathetically.

"Yeah… it's unfortunate," Sukey said in a despondent manner, showing just how hopeless she feels at the moment.

"I think I'm going to be taking my leave now," I said, turning around to open the door. "I hope you have a better day I guess…"

"I… am glad that you made the effort to speak with me," She said just before I closed the door, a pleasant smile forming as she glanced up at me. "At least you cared to listen to me…"

 _It hurts me that she said that, considering that I'm only doing this because I want to pass time not to bond with people. I just cannot trust anyone enough as is._

I hid a smile that formed on my face as I shut the door.

* * *

 **-Ultimate dorms 2nd floor-**

 _I never thought that I'd see someone like her so hopeless, but it goes to show that the tragedy has had a detrimental effect on everyone, and this game isn't helping anything. I hope that she will regain her composure sooner rather than later, because we are in need of a mediator and she's the best for that job._

I noticed that Heikichi, Isoyo, and Erena were out here talking with one another. Although, Heikichi did not seem like he wanted to be there in the first place.

"I don't mean to alarm you Heikichi, well, I totally mean to alarm you because there's a creepy crawly on your back," Erena pointed out, covering her mouth.

"I'm not falling for one of the oldest tricks in the book," Heikichi said, crossing his arms in indifference.

"There really is though…" Isoyo persuaded, biting her brush. "It's a long, writhing, creature."

"We never saw any other living things down here besides plants," The hacker reasoned with a look of doubt. "Am I supposed to believe some bug snuck in here like some kind of professional assassin?"

 _This is clearly a prank, but I do see what they are talking about._

"Seriously Heikichi, I also see it," I told him, staring at the centipede on his back. Observing it closely made me realize just how real the thing looked, which is quite unnerving since they are dangerous creatures.

Heikichi rolled his eyes with a sigh as he checked his back.

"Eugh!" He grimaced in disgust at his hands made contact with the many-legged creature. He immediately threw in down on the ground. "You were serious about that… huh…"

 _Judging from how it did not move once it hit the floor, it must be a phony centipede._

"Tehahahahaa!" Erena busted out laughing while leaning on Isoyo.

"Again, you're the only one laughing," I commented, shaking my head.

"Isoyo's laughing too!" Erena exclaimed, as she pointed to isoyo whom was most certainly not laughing at all..

"Not that I can see or hear," Heikichi scratched underneath his beanie with a confused look.

"She's just pretending that I am," Isoyo said. "Because I would be, if I wanted to, since it is quite hilarious."

 _Well I can believe that, because I knew she can't actually laugh even if she wanted to. These two are just a couple cards aren't they?_

"Yeah Heikichi, your face is priceless!" Erena exclaimed between laughs.

"Priceless enough that any thief would steal it as if it were an ancient art piece," Isoyo added.

"Anyone would make that face when there's a centipede on them," I butted in. "They are one of the grossest bugs out there."

"Too many legs, too long, and too slimy are the recipes for nastiness," Heikichi commented, wiping his hands on his clothes.

"Aww… well I think they are cute in their own strange little way, and one of the more fascinating insects out there," Erena said, her eyes sparkling. "They are even good mothers, a surprising number of them actually dote on their offspring."

"You certainly have a lot of facts in that head of yours," I said, arching a brow.

"Erena is truly a remarkable biologist, I've learned quite a lot from her already," Isoyo admired, clasping her hands together.

"Yeah, well, I still don't like em'," Heikichi concluded with certainty. "Where did you even get a fake centipede from?"

"Isoyo created it from scratch," Erena answered with a smile. "It's absolutely wild how realistic it is."

"So you two are conniving friends now?" Heikichi chuckled, remembering a found memory. "Reminds me of my buddies."

"You did pranks with your friends?" Erena asked with curiosity. "If you had told me you were that kind of person, I would have let you join us!"

"No, I'm talking about real plans and shit," Heikichi explained, adjusting his visor before sighing. "However, we broke up completely and I ended up working alone."

 _He's keeping things vague though, I wonder why that is? What exactly is he trying hide about his friends?_

"That's sucks, why did you guys break up," Isoyo inquired, rubbing her arm.

"I wouldn't want to keep you all up tonight with that story," He said with a frown as he walked over to his room and entered it.

"I agree with him, we should get a good night's rest, considering that this day was a lot better than the last," I said as I also entered my room.

* * *

 **-Omezo's room-**

I collapsed onto my bed the moment I could.

 _This day was certainly better than the last, which should allow me to catch up on all the sleep I lost last night. However, I know that I cannot get caught up in the sunshine when there is most definitely a storm brewing, one in the form of a new motive. I just have to pray that it isn't one that could even break me…_

Fortunately, I did manage to feel the comfort of sleep wash over me this night.

* * *

 _ **Monotokage's nonsensical theatre of nonsensical shit**_

" _You want to know a pet peeve of mine?"_

" _Why the hell does everyone seem to just adore mammals!"_

" _Not only that but we reptiles get a lot of hate! At least not as much as the poor insects though."_

" _I mean, do you know how disgusting mammals are?"_

" _The lot of them lick their own damn asses!"_

" _Some of them eat their own or others' shit, sniff assholes, or drink out of the ole johnson whether it's flushed or not!"_

" _Like what the heck!? That's gross as hell. I've rarely seen any other animals do stuff like that."_

" _Not only that but barely any of them like to take a fricken' bath!"_

" _At least most of use hygienic reptiles wash ourselves with water and not with our slobbering tongues."_

" _Birds also clean themselves correctly."_

" _Insects are nasty, but that wasn't their choice, mammals on the other hand don't have to do all that disgusting shit, plus they're agressive as all hell."_

" _All they have going for themselves is intelligence, but who the fuck cares about that!? I've seen every animal be capable of cool crap, so why bother with the gross ass mammals?"_

" _Any time you wish to buy a pet, you should choose the most glorious animals of them all, reptiles. We don't do disgusting crap, we are capable of being cute, and we are unique pets."_

* * *

 **Review responses:**

 _ThePLOThand: Those are OTP's I can respect, I don't do a whole lot of shipping, but I can say that I ship Galexialyn x Shiori from Final Horizon and Gundham x Sonia from DR itself. Junko does get old though, and Monokuma to a smaller degree, but I love Monokuma so I cannot say I'll ever get tired of him. Yeah, 'just to escape' is never the main motive for anything, but sometimes it plays a small role, like with Teruteru wanting to see his mother and such._

 _Katastic Writer: I did want to avoid using Monokuma since he's had a lot of showtime in many fics and the DR games, so hopefully Monotokage lives up to him or maybe even overshadow him? Nah, that's impossible._

 _Pokemansuperallstar: Oh, they'll be plenty of cracking, and me making everyone feel despair!_


	5. Chapter 1-3: How the Water Flows

_*Ding dong, bing bong*_

A monitor comes down from the ceiling showing Monotokage lounging in a leather chair with her feet on a table. She was holding a martini in her right hand.

"Get up you lazy hoes! It's 7:00 A.M. I will see some killing this time around because yesterday was boooooring."

 _It was much easier to get up today, most likely because of how lighthearted yesterday was. I don't expect to have another one of those days again, and judging from what Monotokage said, she must have something planned._

I left my room and headed down to the designated meeting place, the cafeteria. On my way I encountered Nene just before the stairs.

"Good morning Nene…" I said with a wary look, making sure to keep my distance.

"You're not here to chastise me as well are you?" she questioned venom in her tone.

"Uh… no…" I said nervously, holding up my hands defensively. "Did someone... do that to you?"

"Sukey, Sozen, and Norito did," The fencer responded, crossing her arms indifferently. "For being distant and cold they said. They tried to get me to stay in the cafeteria for at least a minute."

"That doesn't seem like it'd be that difficult…" I commented, running my hand through my dark blue hair. "It's only 60 seconds."

"10 seconds is too much time to be around you weaklings, 60 is like a year," Nene said, wiping her face before deadpanning. "I didn't come here to hold hands with everyone and dance in a circle, I came here to survive, and I cannot trust that anyone here won't cave in."

"Well… um… I think that even if that happened you'd be able to defend yourself just fine," I offered a nervous smile.

"But I will have to kill them if I win the fight," She responded with a grunt, brushing the handle of her rapier for moment. I noticed her eyes soften for a second before she gazed at me with fire in her eyes. "Then I'd have to hide my 'crime' like a pathetic fool."

"No you don't have to end their life, that's never a requirement," I dissuaded, shaking my head.

"It is when it's a duel to the death, and when someone wishes to murder me, I take that as that type of challenge," She huffed, placing a hand on her rapier. "It would be dishonorable of me to not execute the loser."

She did not even give me a chance to say another word before she stomped off to her room.

 _She has some serious rules when it comes to anything._

* * *

 **-Ultimate dorms 1st floor-**

Outside of the door, Erena was standing there with her eyes closed.

"What are you doing?" I asked, staring at her awkwardly. "Is there a purpose to you standing there like a kid waiting eagerly for a present?"

"I'm waiting for a surprise!" Erena answered with excitement, then she pointed nowhere near me with a serious expression. I assumed she meant to aim her finger toward me. "Don't ruin it!"

"Ok then…" I responded with a puzzled look.

 _I'm assuming the surprise she's talking about is in the cafeteria, but I don't understand why she felt it was necessary to close her eyes when she isn't in the cafeteria. If anything, it's more dangerous to be out here by herself like this._

I decided to leave her be and entered the cafeteria.

* * *

 **-Cafeteria-**

This time around I was up earlier than some others seeing that only Isoyo, Sukey, Norito, Juro, Heikichi, Sozen, and Kaiya were in here.

 _That or I am extremely late somehow and mostly everyone left, or the others are… nevermind…_

"Nice to see you awake earlier this time," Sukey commented with an infectious smile.

"Must've rested better like the rest of us," Kaiya added, resting a hand on her hip casually with a serene smile. "Yesterday was quite pleasant all things considered."

"I am perplexed by what this sheet is covering," Sozen said, pushing his forefinger to his forehead in thought. "I never even noticed anyone bringing this here… it reigns suspicion."

"It's a surprise for Erena," Isoyo finally answered, removing all confusion in the room. She patted the figure under the sheet. "I was waiting for Omezo to arrive to reveal it."

"Heh… I don't know why you'd want to wait for me…" I said.

"Stop being such a bummer man," Heikichi said. "You should be happy as shit that a girl wanted your presence!"

 _Forgive me, but I never expect anyone to pay half a mind to me. I guess I should change my view of the world seeing as there is people who do care… No, it'd be unrealistic to do such a thing only because of one person._

"You no longer have anything to wait for now," Norito commented, spinning his hat around with a quick flick. "Let's see what's underneath the dry, pearly, sheet!"

Isoyo grabbed the sheet and yanked it off showing a statue of Erena. It was a perfect replica of the real person, to the point where you couldn't tell if it was actually her or not.

"What the shit was Erena doing under there?" Juro questioned with a dumbfounded look. "Pretending to be a ghost?"

"Ugh…" Kaiya let out a grunt of disappointment while shaking her head with a grin. "You really are as dense as a rock."

"This isn't actually Erena, but a statue of her and all her beauty and glory," Isoyo explained, holding her arms out towards the statue as if to say 'ta-da!'. "It's actually part of the art project I've decided to work on, however I am not showing the rest until I'm completely finished."

"Why create clones like this?" Heikichi asked rubbing his chin, then his eyes widened like the answer just hit him. "Are you trying to rebel with an army of Erena clones?"

"...This is the only one of its kind, that way it is a truly special gift for Erena," Isoyo answered, twiddling her fingers.

"If I'm being honest, it's creepin' me the hell out…" Juro commented, rubbing the back of his neck with an uncomfortable expression before looking confused. "How would Erena like this?"

"Juro!" Sukey scolded with a annoyed look as she jabbed a finger at Jurobei. "Don't be so rude. It probably took her a lot of work to make such a heartwarming gift to a friend. Please don't ruin it with such remarks."

"Why are you trying to sound like my momster!?" Juro exclaimed with surprise and confusion. It seemed like he did not know how exactly to feel about it.

 _Momster? Is he being serious? That's what he calls his mother?_

"Can someone inform Erena that she can come in now," Isoyo requested.

"I'll get her attention," Sozen volunteered, he then cleared his throat and turned to face the doors to the dorms. "ERENA! YOU MAY ENTER THE ROOM!"

Soon enough, Erena bursted into the cafeteria looking all excited. He eyes fell upon the statue of her and her smile grew wide. It was the kind of smile you couldn't help but return back to her.

"Woooooowwwww!" Erena gasped in awe as her eyes sparkled. "For a second there I thought I was looking into the world's largest mirror! This must've been made by you Isoyo! Because you are the only person who is this wonderfully talented!"

"Thanks, it took me 2 hours to finish," Isoyo said.

"Two!?" Norito gawked in surprise. "Dang, that's more impressive than my cleaning speed average."

"I absolutely adore it!" Erena exclaimed with absolute glee. "It means a lot to me that you made this for me."

Erena rushed over to Isoyo and gave her a tight, loving embrace.

"Thank you so much Isoyo!" Erena exclaimed, tears of happiness forming in her eyes.

 _I didn't expect to see anything so wholesome so soon, I can't help but find it… endearing in a way._

"I'm losing my breath…" Isoyo wheezed as she was helpless, stranded in Erena's tight embrace.

"Whoops," Erena said in a quirky tone, releasing Isoyo. "Got too excited there didn't I?"

"Yeah you did, but it's fine, I enjoy seeing you in high spirits." Isoyo assured, adjusting her hat. "But I think the crying is unnecessary…"

"Yep! Definitely my yuri ship!" Leiko announced as she eyed the two girls. "Whoah! Is that some sort of demon disguising themselves as Erena? Who's who?"

"I think it's obvious who's who," Heikichi scoffed with a indignant expression.

"Statues do not smile that wide after all, nor are they capable of being hyperactive," I added as an amused smirk pried at my lips.

"Ehhh… I'm still confused," Leiko said, then she gave a careless wave. "No matter! I'm just here to get my noms on!"

Erena stood directly next to her statue. "I wonder if it's really that hard to determine…" She tried mimicking the statue to a successful degree.

 _Now it's actually not easy to tell the difference._

"Hmhmhmhmhm~ we are supposed to be the only twins down here…" The twins commented as they walked in.

"Can't have anyone else stealing our thunder," Shuuyo said, twirling her hair around with a sneer. "We might need to end this competition."

"I don't know sis, they are quite good at it too…" Rikako admitted in a meek tone while clasping her hands together. "Why not let them play around for a bit?"

"Huh!?" Anzai gasped as he was taken aback by the statue. "When did Erena have another half?!"

"Tell them to make a guess…" Erena whispered to Isoyo while still keeping dead still.

"Can you guys figure out which is the real Erena," Isoyo asked putting a brush up to her lips.

"Clearly the one on the left is the real Erena, and the other is the statue," Anzai immediately answered with confidence. "My genius mind cannot possible be fooled by mere art!"

Erena couldn't keep a straight face and bursted out into laughter.

 _Looks like brain power doesn't constitute sight, Anzai was wrong for once._

"W-what the blazes!" Anzai exclaimed, his face turning to that of dismay.

"Hehehehehhehe~ I can't believe you got it completely wrong!" Erena said in a mocking tone as she clutched at her stomach in laughter. "And you were so confident!"

"Hrgh... " Anzai growled, even showing some teeth as he traded his glasses for sunglasses. A look of denial formed on his face. "This doesn't prove anything anyways... I'm still hella smart and y'all aren't!"

"Learn better rhymes, aren't isn't technically a word," Heikichi countered with a scoff.

Anzai scowled and sneered at him, stomped over to the kitchen.

"I must admit, this statue is truly a beautiful recreation of the human body, all it needs is cosmetics and we'd have a new ultimate almost!" Arishige criticised with admiration in his voice.

"Sadly, it'll never have a soul," Kado spoke up in a lullaby tone after sitting quietly for a bit. "unless you want me to transfer one of yours into it."

"You can do that?" Sukey asked with intrigue.

"Cult leader," Kado responded flatly, raising a finger. "Remember it well."

"That can mean two things though," I pointed out, furrowing my brows. "That you're lying or that it's a skill you gained as a cult leader."

"Choose which rings true to your mortal heart," Kado spoke in a dramatic tone. "I will pay no heed to your choice."

"Well, it seems this is everyone, other than Nene, who we've tried to get to stay here with no success," Sozen said as his eyes flitted around the room.

"That girl is cold-blooded to the core, figures she'd keep her heart locked in the freezer," Norito said, rolling his eyes as he looked to the side. "I ought to scrub out the stains in her life, maybe that's what she needs."

 _I'm not sure what to think about Nene, on one hand, she is dangerous to leave alone and may be a ticking time bomb for all of us, on the other, I don't actually see her as the type of person to murder anyone and attempt to escape. Whatever the case me be, hopefully the problem will handle itself._

"What is there to discuss today Sozen?" Kaiya asked, turning to the statuesque sheriff.

"So far, there has been no suspicious activity from anyone," Sozen explained. "No one has attempted any sort of violent acts or manipulative ones."

"Guess that means Monotokage needs to kick it up a notch," Juro said mockingly as he laced his hands behind his head.

 _*Ding dong, bing bong*_

"I have decided to no longer be patient! A.k.a I'm tired of this lovey dovey bullshit! I request that you all join me in the meeting room before I lose my sanity to boredom!" Monotokage announced on the monitor.

"Great, you just had to jinx it," Erena accused. "And we were having a good time and everything."

"Way to go dickwad!" Anzai scolded with his horn-rimmed glasses on. "You should know that as an idiot, anything you say is a calculated 100% chance meaningless statement that does more harm than good."

"Geez, it's not like I wanted this to fucking happen!" Juro defended, clenching his teeth in anger at being blamed.

 _This is it, this must be a motive. What else would it be?_

Taking a deep breathe, I stepped into the meeting room with everyone else.

* * *

 **-Announcement room-**

"My bets are that this is going to be nothing but bad news," Sukey mused with gloom.

"The probability of that is 99.9% I'd wager," Heikichi calculated, fidgeting with his device. "So yes, the chances of good news is slim."

"I'll happily take the .1% chance of the gift of sugar cookies!" Leiko exclaimed, giddy with energy.

"Why sugar cookies?" Kaiya questioned, showing her displeasure. "Brownies would be better, especially peppermint brownies."

"NO!" The demonologist denied with great vehemence. "Sugar cookies are our supreme demon lords of food!"

 _With every passing day, that girl gets more and more ridiculous. A the very least, she's not becoming more insane, just nonsensical, if it were the other way around, it will only be a matter of time till we lock her up._

"I wish that someone like you never existed," Nene commented as she joined the others in the room with a look of annoyance. "Let's just get this charade over with."

"So nice of you to join us Nene," Sukey said with a pleasant smile, it's clear that she was glad that she arrived.

"..." The blonde followed with silence and she simply turned her head away from the musician coldly.

Eventually, Monotokage jumped down from the ceiling onto the stage.

"What nonsense will she announce this time I wonder…" Sozen mused, crossing his arms with his eyes shut.

"As long as it's entertaining, I won't be disappointed," Masakado commented with a malicious grin. "Let's hear it our demonic lizard host, what fun awaits us?"

"Believe me, I have something great for all of you!" Monotokage exclaimed with excitement and malice. "I;d never disappoint my dear contestants! Yahehehehe~

"It has to be the cookies!" Leiko demanded in a serious tone as she stared down the lizard as if she was attempting to scare her.

"It is cookies!" Monotokage announced as she shot out a bunch of cookies at all of us. Everyone except Leiko, who was eagerly jumping up and down like a child, was bewildered by this development.

"A-are you serious?" I stammered in disbelief. "This can't be right… It's just nonsensical."

 _I'm not ready to let my guard down, I know that in a few moments, the damned lizard will reveal the true intent behind this announcement she has._

"Wait… this is stale…" Erena said as she bit into the cookie with a grossed out expression.

"This proves that robots should never cook for humans ever," Heikichi commented as he threw down the sugar cookie.

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" Leiko exasperated as she slumped to her knees in pure anguish. "The demon lied, I should have seen it coming…"

"So this was a waste of time for a meaningless joke," Kado shook his head as he stabbed the cookie with his knife, probably out of resentment.

"Hmhmhmhmhm~ It should have been a motive like we were expecting not a petty prank," The twins insulted. "Where's the suspense? or the cruelty? despair? We could have done better than this."

"Hold your horses buckaroos! Crack open those bad boys and read the contents!" Monotokage exclaimed. "This isn't over yet!"

 _Is this her idea of clever or something? Putting the motives inside of the cookies… I suppose it's more creative than just flat out saying it..._

Sure enough, there was a note that said "Lol, why'd you actually listen, I bet you thought they'd be secrets or somethin' right."

 _So all seriousness was thrown out the window I see... how funny..._

"That's it, I'm leaving," Nene said, clearly fed up with everything as she threw her cookie at the lizard. "Here's your damn cookie back you pathetic excuse for a host, all you turned out to be was all talk. No one here has any strength or power."

"I don't really get it…" Isoyo said, biting her brush. "Didn't you say you'd outdo Junko…"

"Yeah, enough of these damn games!" Juro angrily demanded through clenching teeth. "Get the fuck on with it or let us get the hell out of here!"

"There has to be something more to this meeting right?" Heikichi questioned scratching underneath his beanie. "I doubt that this was all for that one thing."

"I'm happy to hear that you all are begging for a real gift of virtue!" Monotokage said with glee, clutching her sides. "Yahehehehe~ That's what I like to hear."

 _It is quite ironic how mostly everyone started wanting serious news, when we all know that it's not going to be anything we want._

"Well, if you have something more important to say, just say it already," Anzai requested rubbing his face in annoyance. "Enough time has been thrown away for your ridiculous prank."

"Gotcha!" Monotokage complied, finger gunning the genius. "For realsies this time! I will be giving all you bozos a motive!"

 _She definitely shares Monokuma's sheer annoying attitude, that's for sure. Time to start fearing this motive._

"Exactly as me and my sis thought," Shuuyo commented, plucking her eyebrows. "This is how it should've started though."

"Oh, but it fills us with so much dread…" Rikako added with a grim look on her face as she grasped at her heart.

"M-motive?" Erena muttered in fear, the color draining from her face.

"Motive!" Monotokage answered menacingly, throwing her arms up.

"M-motive?" Leiko echoed Erena with a puzzled expression rather than a fearful one.

"Mo-" Monotokage stopped before finishing, shaking her head. "I'll stop there, here's the lowdown, If yall don't kill someone give your talent a good kiss goodbye!"

"The h-hell!?" Juro gasped in shock and dismay. "Where the shit are you going with this bastard!?"

"I think she means to say that we will lose our talent," Nene answered, rolling her eyes as if she didn't care about the situation.

"Bitchtits is right!" Monotokage confirmed in a sinister tone. "I will forcibly purge you of the talent you all worked so hard to achieve such a name for!"

"How's that even possible?" Heikichi questioned with a puzzled look. "It's not like we are robots you can reprogram..."

"If Monokuma can remove memories, I can remove your talents by taking out anything involving it from your memory! I could even go farther and make sure that you can never retain it," Monotokage reasoned, picking at her teeth with a claw. "You'd go back to being normal people."

 _I can see the possibility, and she's not lying, Monokuma did remove memories in the past from what I learned, is this a bluff or is she not messing around? That's the overlaying question._

"N-no fuckin' way!" Juro clenched his fist. "That's like forgetting my whole life!"

"Sure is, that's why you should stop being such lazy assholes and make this game actually exciting and kill someone!" Monotokage exclaimed angrily with a claw outstretched. "I need bloodshed dammit!"

"Heh… Clever one you are, holding our own talents hostage, what makes us… us," Masakado remarked with admiration. "Impressive indeed. Seems you made up for your mistake."

"You really like to kiss up to her don't you," Kaiya pointed out with a frown.

"Hey, I enjoy it when people kiss my toes!" Monotokage exclaimed, stroking her her tail. "Keep at it edgelord!"

"Don't make it out to be like I'm your slave," The cult leader offered an offended expression. "I lead not follow… it's just admiration."

"Whatever… I'll leave you all to contemplate while I take a satisfying sip of a martini," The lizard then vanished into thin air as usual.

"The absolute madman!" Arishige exasperated, spraying himself with caramel cherry smelling perfume. "Does she really think she can just steal our talent like that?"

"I don't know, she seemed quite confident," Isoyo said, pulling her hat down over her face.

"I'm certainly convinced!" Norito exclaimed, before slamming his mop down on the floor with a firm head shake. "But I will not let it bring me down!"

"Right!" Sukey agreed firmly with a confident smile. "This shouldn't stop us from working together, with or without our talents."

"I kinda need my talent you know?" Heikichi commented with a unsure expression. "I don't want to become a fast food worker or something."

"Tis of no concern for us," The twins mentioned, before sweetly smiling. "Our talent is our relationship, it's impossible to strip bloodline away from us."

"Nononononononononononononoonononononononononononono!" Anzai sputtered as he began to pull at his medal and sweat profusely.. "No one can take my genius brain away from me, it's my precious, the only thing I have!"

"Hah, look at him panicking, it's about time he loses that smug look," Kaiya piped up with a mocking grin. "Although, if I can't be a secret agent, my life would be soooo boring… maybe I care as much as he does…"

 _This motive does cut deep that's for sure, luckily, I'm not that attached to my talent so I don't feel too pressured by it. Can't say the same for the others, especially Anzai judging from his reaction. Hopefully, he won't try anything._

"CALM DOWN EVERYONE!" Sozen demanded in a commanding voice while also stomping his foot down hard. "The motive is nothing but a lie to get us to panic like we are. If we just keep calm and deny that this motive is true, we'll get through this easily."

"I agree, there's no way she can actually remove our talents," Sukey added, stroking her colorful ponytails.

"I wouldn't recommend doubting the possibility," Kado warned, spinning his knife around, his lips pulling into a thin line.

"Would you please shut the fuck up!" Juro shouted in pure anger, raising his fists up.

"Just ignore Kado, he might as well be working in tandem with Monotokage," Sozen commanded, spitting on the floor. "He's just here to push us into murdering someone."

"I already said I'm no slave," Kado re-voiced, showing a bit of his teeth, his brows angling inward ever so slightly. "I only seek amusement in this situation. It's rare I get to have this type of fun nowadays."

"Hush, Sozen has something more to say," Erena said, putting a finger up to her mouth.

 _Is she really trying to shush a cult leader? Someone who may have taken many souls in his lifetime…_

Despite my doubts, Kado did in fact keep quiet.

"Now that there's a real motive in play that seems to have a detrimental effect on most of you I will issue some ground rules." Sozen began, folding his arms across his bulky chest.

"I'd prefer there not be any rules," Heikichi said, placing his hands on his hips with a displeased look.

 _Now that I think about it, the rules icon on the handbook has remained grayed out and inaccessible. Monotokage really did not issue a single rule… I wonder why..._

"These rules will keep you safer, and I expect that you'd not want to be an easy kill." Sozen reasoned. "I will personally be keeping track of everyone from here on out. Everytime from 7:00 PM I will be patrolling the hallway of the dorms and I require that everyone remain in the ultimate dorms on the 2nd floor. Everyone will stay in their rooms past 10"

"Sounds splendastious to me!" Arishige exclaimed as he cooled himself off with a small fan. "So long as it never gets in the way of my desire for fashion."

"Shit dude, you're taking away our nighttime freedom?" Juro asked, running his hands through his short blonde hair. "I'd rather not lose that."

"Yeah! What if I want snack or something!" Leiko added in complaint with a pouting face.

"Fine, the cafeteria is allowed; additionally, I will make sure to remember exactly who leaves the dorms, and only allow two to leave at a time, that way I will know who to suspect if a murder happens. That would discourage anyone from murdering the other," Sozen compromised, rolling his eyes.

"Why not just let one leave?" I asked. "Wouldn't it be riskier to have two at a time go?

"It's so no one can leave a trap easily, you see, with another person in the cafeteria, it would be quite difficult I'd say," The sheriff responded.

 _That makes sense, but what's stopping them from creating a trap together. Monotokage didn't give us any rules at all, so what if you can escape with an accomplice? I know that was never a thing before, at least in the first killing game it was, but anything could happen with a new host like this._

"I feel like you've been thinking of this for longer than just now," Kaiya said, quirking a brow with her hands on her hips.

"I will admit, I have been, but I felt no need to enforce it until now," Sozen responded, folding her arms.

"I suppose I can commend you for staying true to your ideals for our safety…" Anzai remarked with a bit of reluctance.

 _Anzai decided to acknowledge someone? Why do I feel like he's about to make it a backhanded compliment though._

"It's the most I've seen from you muddle headed officers of the law. You are one level above them, sharing the floor with inbred rats," The genius said, wiping his glasses off with a pretentious smile.

"..." Sozen's eyes darkened for a brief moment as he stood there with his arms crossed.

"Well, I appreciate that you are making the effort to increase our safety Motozawa sir," Sukey thanked, bowing her head nicely.

"I don't," Heikichi deadpanned, grasping his left arm. "I'd rather not have safety tape everywhere during the night."

"You're only complaining because you want to kill someone!" Leiko accused, putting her forefinger to her temples. "I can see the thoughts in your mind!"

"That's incorrect, I just enjoy walking around at night by myself, to gather my thoughts you know?" The hacker defended with a dry laugh.

"Sounds pretty damn suspicious to me," Juro blurted out, scratching his goatee.

"Ugh… we are back to suspecting one another again!" Erena whined as she slumped her shoulders. "Why is it so hard for humans to get along! Nature does it so much better…"

 _Even with those rules in place, I still see a murder coming, maybe I'm just being pessimistic, but can you blame me?_

Everyone soon parted ways, I for one, headed back to my room.

* * *

 **-Omezo's room-**

I decided to write in that journal, to collect my thoughts I guess. *scribble scribble* With that recorded, it's time to find something to do.

I left my room to be greeted by Arishige messing around with his makeup kit.

 _Oh how pleasant, now he's a door to door salesman, because I know where this will go. Looks like I'll have to do the old classic maneuver of 'slamming the door in front of annoying salesmen and things alike._

"Why are you waiting outside of my room?" I questioned, voicing my displeasure of his presence.

"Awaiting your arrival my good sir," Arishige replied, closing the kit not before giving me a good look at it's contents. "Because we have a appointment remember?"

"I know what you're referring to, but I never agreed to it," I denied, shaking my head as I began to close the door.

"Don't deny your desire for true fabulousness!" He quickly said, stopping me from shutting the door completely with his shoe.

"I've said it many times before, I don't like cosmetics," I repeated in an annoyed manner.

"At least give them a chance," He pleaded with puppy dog eyes. "Come to my room, there is much to look at!"

 _This guy just doesn't budge! How stubborn can you possibly be?!_

"I don-" I attempted to close the door again, but he grabbed hold of me and dragged me to his room.

 _Looks like I never had a choice to begin with, oh well. I guess I can play along for now, just to get him off my back..._

* * *

 **-Arishige's room-**

His room looked a lot more extravagant than the rest, with a colorful floor, and colorful walls. Every color in this room was bright. Not only that, there was also cosmetics being presented on many tables along the walls.

 _This room has been way overdone._

"You really don't like having anything look boring," I observed, furrowing my brow.

"Oh, I could never!" The cosmetologist answered in a overly dramatic tone. "My life's meant to be filled to the brim with all things fantabulous and nothing less."

"Yeah… if there's one thing I um… want to know…" I began with a bit of reluctance. "It's why you love cosmetics so much."

"I won't shower you with backstory, unless requested," He said, holding a finger up. "But I can answer your question."

"Please stick to the question," I requested with a sigh of relief.

 _Thank god he gave me an option this time. I can hardly listen to him normally, I'd hate to be stuck hearing a lifetime story from him._

"Very well…" He said with a hint of disappointment in his voice before clearing his throat. "Before I came into contact with the wonders of cosmetics, I was about as ugly as the troll under the bridge."

"Really now?" I questioned, my curiosity piquing.

"I felt bad for every mirror I shattered looking into. Then one day I saw an magazine of some cosmetics," He explained in a story like manner. "Seeing just how beautiful they made people look I just had to get my hands on some considering that I was disgusted with my appearance just like everyone else who looked at me and judged me for being so putrid."

 _It was that horrible huh? Honestly, this world just needs to cut the crap when it comes to appearances. Then again, I'm not a fan of looking terrible either so I can understand._

"With all the money I saved up I got some cosmetics, but it wasn't enough and a total makeover is quite pricey," He continued, brushing his face with a smirk. "So I decided to make my own, which then sprung forth the life of my company, 'Luminescent'."

"I can see that you succeeded," I commented, my gaze shifting to all the cosmetics around the room.

"Naturally," He replied in a cocky tone, whipping his fluffy luminescent white cowlick back. "I did a complete makeover of my face, and worked on losing the excess weight as well. I became what you see today, the epitome of human gorgeousness, the tip of the iceberg as they say. That is the wonders of cosmetics."

"I must admit, cosmetics can change lives in a positive way," I said, before raising my hand in denial. "Except, I still don't want any."

"You're just thinking about the appearance altering ones, there's always perfumes and colognes you know." Arishige explained convincingly. "Smelling spectabulous is just as important as looking beautastic."

"I mean yeah, sure, I guess I'm okay with cologne."

 _Not smelling like you crawled out of a sewer is more important to me than my appearance at the moment. So long as he isn't about to trick me into using a cologne that doubles as skin altering lotion..._

"Pick one then!" Exclaimed the effeminate cosmetologist, gesturing to the table of cologne and perfume with his hand on my back. "If you need help choosing just ask me, I know what would be perfect for you."

"Uh… how about you choose," I requested with an unsure smile.

 _This might be a bad idea, but there's just too many bottles on this table for me to even began to decide._

He smiled and picked up a bottle of cologne labeled as "golden flames"

"Here you go, give it a whiff," He said, handing me the bottle of the golden brown liquid.

I sprayed it in the air and sniffed.

"It smells like honey, and a campfire," I examined, rubbing my chin. "That seems like an… odd combination."

 _Odd yes, but a very nice scent actually. I would have never thought to combine those two scents._

"I make sure to have every possible smell," Arishige remarked, standing proud. "I felt that'd it be good for you since you are calm and relaxed like campfires, but sweet like honey. That's how I think of you anyways."

"You find me sweet?" I questioned, taken aback by the sudden compliment.

"You did indulge in this activity with me even though you showed displeasure, so yes, you are a pretty sweet guy."

 _I can't tell if he's just trying to earn my friendship so that he can sell me his stuff easier or that he's being legitimate. I will say one thing, I hate him less than before._

"Thanks… I suppose."

"That'll be two-hundred by the way."

"Wh-what!"

 _It's just a single bottle, why that much? I know cosmetics are expensive, but jeez. It's not even permanent._

"Ehhh, I will give it to you for free if you can get impress me," He said after thinking for a second. "Tell me, do you know the ingredient that creates a smoky scent to perfumes?"

"Uhhh…" I struggled to imagine what that could possibly be.

"I'll give you a list," He said, lending me a piece of paper. "Consider it thanks for partaking here today."

I looked at the list of ingredients. There was a lot of strange ones like amber, musk, something involving sperm whale secretions, etc. Some of it was kind of strange. I still could not really tell so I just decided to guess based on context clues.

"Is it Oud?" I answered, not sounding confident at all.

"Congratulations! You earned yourself a free bottle of 'Golden Flames'!" He exclaimed in a way that made me believe he was about as confident in me as I was.

"Oh um… didn't think I actually guessed right," I scratched the back of my neck as he gifted me the cologne.

"For a bit of a history lesson, let me tell you that oud is an extremely rich and resinous substance derived from the fungus that grows on the wood from aquilaria and gyrinops trees," He explained in a sing song voice. "I used some in that cologne you're are holding, and the ingredient itself has a price tag of about fifteen thousand."

 _So he was actually being pretty generous with the price in the first place, yet he still gave it to me for free for a lucky guess._

"I think I should conclude our business for today, maybe we'll speak again tomorrow!"

 _That'll be unlikely, sorry to say, but I can say that I didn't hate that as much as I thought I would._

We both left the room and I returned to mine to place the cologne on the bedside table.

 _I guess Arishige is a lot more generous than I thought, not only that but it's crazy to think that he was less than pleasant looking at one point in his life. Cosmetics can be truly wondrous I suppose. Time to look for someone else else._

* * *

 **-Kitchen-**

I noticed Juro raiding the fridge once I walked into the kitchen. At first I was confused, but then I remembered that this was Juro.

"Looking to hide out in your room are we?" I asked in a teasing manner, placing my hands on my hips.

"Got to stay safe somehow right?" The soccer player responded with a dopey grin.

"Sure…" I replied in a 'whatever' kind of tone.

 _He truly is a coward, but I can't blame him for wanting to avoid any and all possible dangerous encounters at times like this._

"Care to lend me a hand bro?"

"I guess I could…"

 _ **Juro and I spent some time scouring the kitchen for food.**_

 _I don't know why I bothered to do that, I guess I can say that we got closer somehow._

"Yo dude? So... " He scratched the back of his neck. "You have any advice for swooning Nene?"

"Why would I know how to do that?" I questioned, sounding confused.

"Because, she did not fucking try to kill you when you first met her!" The blonde pursued, crossing his arms. "You've got to have some goddamn secret to her heart."

"I-I um…. Uh…" I muttered into my golden scarf. "I don't really have any secrets like that."

 _I didn't even know what type of person she was, I just got lucky that being myself in the situation worked out. I don't get how that could be considered the key to anyone's heart. Juro is just desperate._

"Come on bro! She stuck around you for a reason!"

"All I did was not run and she decided that was a brave decision," I answered with a shrug and a nervous look. "I guess she just respected me at that moment."

"So she has the hots for bravery!" Juro realized, twisting his goatee for a moment before snapping his fingers with a defeated expression. "tsssss… shoot!…"

"If I'm being honest, maybe you should go for someone else that wouldn't rather rip your face off with their bare hands than to be in the same room with you for a second," I recommended in a semi friendly tone.

"Fuck that! No other girls here are as badass as her!" He vehemently disagreed, looking at me like I'm the stupid one. "She's totes my dream girl."

"You like people that want to kill you that much?"

"I don't believe that she will kill me," Juro denied with a huff of indifference. "Even then, the threats just add to the sexy factor you know?!"

 _He has to be a masochist or something, there's just no way around it._

"Still though, she clearly doesn't like you at all," I pointed out. "There are much nicer girls down here."

"Like who?" He asked in a way that made it seem like he believed that there was no other answer while crossing his arms.

"Literally every other girl."

"I mean sure, some of them are hot, even the twins got it down below if you know what I mean," He clicked his tongue and rubbed his chin. "But none of them compare to the rapier wielding babe."

"Trust me, it's for your own good to let her go."

"Bullshit!" He yelled in between his teeth. Then he rubbed his hand across his left arm, across his arm bands. "But, I guess I'll try somethin' with the other girls, because I need some real love before I go to fuckin' hell in this shithole!"

 _Juro has strange tastes in women, that's for sure. He also seems to really want to have true love as if this is a fairy tale, but that's just not how the world works. But what do I know? I'm no love guru… I could be in the wrong for all I know and they are a perfect match._

I decided to search for another person to talk to, but before I was able to leave the cafeteria, Sukey stopped me in my tracks.

"Hey Omezo, can I have you for a moment?" She requested with a pleasant smile.

"Yeah… uh… sure you can," I responded, giving her my undivided attention.

"Would you be willing to participate in a bonding session I have planned at 7:00 P.M. tonight?" The band director asked, biting her thumbnail nervously. "I wanted to see if I could bring people together, since I believe it's the most I can do to help us in our current predicament."

"Of course I will, I wouldn't turn down such an offer you know?" I answered with a soft expression.

 _I honestly don't think I can ever deny a request from Sukey, as I couldn't bear to witness her when she's saddened._

"Thank you Omezo!" She said, showing her gratitude in full happiness. "I can't wait to see you there!"

She then walked towards the kitchen, presumingly to ask Jurobei a similar question.

 _It's nice to see that she's making an effort to get us to bond, much like I expected from her in the first place._

* * *

 **-Botanical garden-**

A expected, Erena was in here. She was petting the flowers as if they were cats.

"Hello Erena," I greeted in a friendly tone, leaning slightly closer to her.

"Huh… um…" Erena looked around the room until she saw that Sozen was also in the garden. "Hi Omezo, it's nice to see you."

 _Why did she get all nervous like that? Is she afraid…? It's best I don't question her about it._

"I bet you're glad there's some nature down here," I mused, my eyes flitting around all the rather beautiful plantlife.

"Oh, yeah of course!" The biologist exclaimed with a warm smile. "Except I wish that there were actual animals…"

"I wouldn't expect them to have live animals in an underground facility," I said, my brows furrowing. "Probably better for their health."

"You're not wrong, most animals require fresh air and sunlight, not artificial sunlight."

"The plants seem to be faring well though," I observed, my gaze shifting to the healthy plants.

"These ones were born into these environment, so they have adapted," She informed, her eyes focusing on the plants with a comforting expression "However some of them like the tomatoes are artificial and not natural."

"How could you tell that?" I questioned, a bit surprised.

"I dissected some of them, as there are things humans cannot reproduce that of which nature creates," She explained as she picked a tomato and twirled it in her hand.

 _That is impressive I will admit, to be able to point out a discret detail like that in a plant, vegetable, or fruit._

"Is it necessary for you to study all these plants?" I asked, my brow furrowing. "I saw that you had a ton in your room."

"Well, I just like being around nature, so I keep those plants in my room to keep me company," the forest green haired girl answered, placing a hand close to her heart. "In fact, I'm used to being around nature twenty-four seven, ever since I was born."

"You were born in nature? Like not in a hospital?" I said, arching a brow.

"Mm-hm, In a log cabin in the middle of a jungle."

 _Okay… so she was conceived unprofessionally in a jungle in who knows where._

"A jungle...?" I said, bobbing my head back and forth, showing a bit of disbelief. "And how did that manage to happen?"

"Is it a crime to live in the jungle?!" Erena countered with a huff of annoyance, then her expression softened. "My parents never liked living in cities around other people. So the only living beings other than them that I've ever been around is animals and plants."

 _she was conceived unprofessionally in a jungle in who knows where, by people who've never lived with human society for that long. I don't know if I can buy this or not… I hope this isn't a case where a human was raised by some random animal. I see that all the time in books and movies._

"Your parents are human right?"

 _I swear, if she says that she was raised by goldfish or something I will be done with life. You know what, I hope she does, I need a good laugh at this point._

"Of course they are! If I'm human they're human," She said giving me the wildest of looks, to the point where she was even crouching down as if she was about to pounce. She must be getting tired of my prying. "Did you think I was some kind of hybrid or something?"

 _I wasn't prepared to see a angry side of Erena, I didn't even think it'd be this frightening to see._

"N-no um… it's just strange is all," I stammered, my hand encircling my scarf while looking away with my bottom lip curled. "I mean, I don't like being around other people that much, but I know that secluding yourself from society really eats away at your sanity."

"But the ecosystem of the jungle was my society. I even had a pet bear and crocodile!" She exclaimed, her eyes shining brightly. "Their names were Georgie and Marilyn. It was my idea though, but it was easy befriending them."

 _I cannot begin to imagine how she and her parents managed to have those animals be their pets. I guess that's what makes her the ultimate biologist, but then again, what biologist needs to be able to tame dangerous animals? They just study life itself._

"It's too bad I won't see them again for a long time," She looked down in a fit a remorse. "At least I have plants, and they are just as nice to pet as a dog or cat."

"I don't see how, aren't they rubbery?"

"Some are fuzzy!" She exclaimed, guiding my eyes to a fuzzy looking plant. "Here pet this one."

"Ouch!" I rubbed the palm of my right hand after getting poked by the needles of the plant.

"Hahahahaha~" She cackled wildy. "Whoo~ you need to stop being so fun to prank."

"You need to stop pranking in general," I commented, crossing my arms with a wry smile.

"Never!" She shouted in denial, swiping her hand to the right. "But, I bet you cannot guess what kind of plant you just petted."

 _Another trivia, what's up with this happening a lot? Did I stumble into a game show? Fortunately, I know a good bit about plants because I took a course on it before._

"Galium aparine right?" I answered with a hint of confidence.

"Ding ding ding!" The upbeat girl imitated a bell. "That's correct, additionally, its type of thorns is called trichomes. There are a whole lot of terms for plant species and their biology, so I am surprised you got that right. Except, if you knew what it was, why did you still pet it?"

"I did not recognize it right away, that's just the difference between you and me."

"Anyways, I enjoyed this, and I hope we can talk more later," She said, propping her chin on both of her hand with an infectious smile. "maybe you me and Isoyo can get together some time?"

"That would be nice I suppose."

 _Erena has had more of a wild life than I thought, no pun intended._

* * *

 **-Ultimate dorms 2nd floor-**

I went over to Kaiya's room and knocked. She opened the door and gave me a warm smile.

"Are you bored and have no idea what to do?" The agent said as if this were the beginning of a commercial.

"Yep…" I simply stated with a straight face.

"Then come on in, I have a fun idea!" She exclaimed, gesturing me to enter her room, to which I followed.

* * *

 **-Kaiya's room-**

Much to my surprise, her room looked normal, nothing was out of the ordinary.

 _I have a feeling that everything is not as they seem in here. Like, I could turn a painting 80 degrees clockwise and turn this whole room into the ultimate weapon. That's just ridiculous though, the Future Foundation would never implement such a thing when this place is meant for our survival._

"So what is this so called fun idea you have?"

"Alright, so here's the rundown," Kaiya began, adjusting her bow-tie. "I want to see if you can find five unnamed, undescribed secrets in this room."

"I feel like I should be afraid of this…" I muttered, rubbing my jaw in thought.

"No it's fiiiinnne, nothing in here will kill you," Kaiya assured, patting me on the back. "That is, unless you're just unlucky."

"Excuse me? You can't just assure me safety and then say that it depends on my luck," I blinked a couple of times in quick succession.

"Don't worry, I'll warn you if you get unlucky," She assured once more, motioning me to calm down.

"Whatever, I guess I'll trust you," I said in compliance, contemplating if this was a good idea or not. "I came here to kill time afterall, who am I to reject your little game."

 _And so begins my perilous search in a secret agent's room._ _I swear to all hell if I actually die doing this crap, the things I do for friendship._

I decided to begin the strange scavenger hunt at the bedside table. On top of it lied two black pens. I picked up the one on the left and preemptively clicked it. What came out was unexpected, instead of an ink tip, it fired a red laser that burned a hole into the floor. Luckily, it narrowly missed my foot.

"Jesus!" I yelped in surprise, quickly deactivating the laser pen and placing it back on the table. "Why do you have a dangerous weapon like that?"

"Beats me compadre, that was already there to begin with," Kaiya replied with a casual shrug. "I assumed that the Future Foundation must trust me enough to allow me access to weaponized gadgets like that one, but that's my only guess."

"Then is the other one the same?"

"I'm not giving you hints," The turquoise haired girl said with a shake of her head, before giving a playful smirk. "I can't test your perception that way."

 _That's what this is about then, she's just seeing if I can spot all the hidden gadgets in here. What for is beyond me._

I took the other pen and clicked it, this time it worked as normal. However, I had a feeling that it may not be exactly the same in use, so I tried to find something to write on. Looking in the drawer, I found a notebook and a book inside. I opened the notebook to a blank page and wrote in it with the pen. As I thought, nothing was shown.

"It's invisible ink isn't it?"

"Correct, and what an age old classic it is!"

I checked the notebook just to see if it had some other use, and it didn't. Putting it back in it's place, I picked up the book that was in the drawer. I tried flipping it open to the first page but it did not work at all. Upon closer inspection, there was no real pages to flip to, it was all just an illusion. The only thing I could do was open it up in the middle to reveal a electronic display screen. Once I turned it on, I was able to see through it as if it were a camera. Plus, It could record and take pictures.

"Huh... I can see how this would be very nifty when undercover," I commented with interest, as I looked through the book-camera's options.

"That's 100 percent what it's designed for," The agent confirmed, her lips pulling into a delicate line. "You can easily get away with recording conversations or taking pictures of important things and moments. Perfect for gaining blackmail over someone you have a grudge with."

I put the book camera thing back and closed the drawer. Just to check, I tried a multitude of things on the lamp on the table. After loosening a screw on it, the lampshade retracted.

"Look away!" Kaiya shouted at me as she turned around immediately.

I listened and quickly turned away, noticing a really bright flash of light that filled the room for a second, much like a flash-bang, except somehow even brighter.

"Uh… even the lamp…?" I asked, feeling perplexed by the reasoning for such a tool.

"Yeah, just think, if someone breaks into your room, all you need to do is activate the lamp's flash-bang effect and render them blind," Kaiya explained, clapping her hands together as she finished the sentence. "Or you can set up an area in advance with one of them bad boys and have it be a trap for a target."

"Secret agents have no limits to what can be a gadget don't they?"

"Oh, you don't even know half of it, I've seen peanut butter constitute as explosive gel before," She mentioned, with a goofy smile as she rested a hand on her shapely hip. "Guess you can say it adds an explosive flavor to your meals."

"Please don't start with the bad jokes," I kindly requested, my brow scrunching up.

"Sorry, but I have to seize all the opportunities!" She admitted with a wide grin.

Going over to the closet, I peered inside seeing multiple clone outfits for Kaiya, and a basketball on the ground. I picked it up and tried finding something to twist, push, or pull on it.

Eventually, I managed to flick something forwards on the ball, turning it into a literal baseball. It was the last thing I expected from this.

 _Why did it have to be a baseball? Whatever, I wonder if I can change it again..._

I flicked the same tiny switch again, and the baseball morphed into a soccer ball. Then I did it again, this time a tennis ball. I continued to turn this ball into a multitude of sports balls until it for some reason became a disco ball, and it even played some generic club music.

 _Of course, I should have known, what logical minded person would not expect something so obvious? I mean, a disco ball? Really?_

"I'm really confused on how and why a interchanging ball is necessary for any agent, let alone a disco ball of all things," I voiced my thoughts, rubbing my neck.

"Not all gadgets need practical uses, we like to have fun too you know?" Kaiya said. "I think it's quite cool to have a ball that can be any kind of ball, that way you'd never have to carry around so many things, and always be ready for any sort of sport. As for the disco ball, well, I don't know really, but the prospect of a portable disco party is sweet enough for me to not mind."

"Sure, um… whatever you say," I muttered, brushing my dark blue hair back. "Well, I did you game, and I suppose it was fun in a way. I've always been interested in hidden secrets like that, as I am a mystery writer and all."

"And it's a learning experience for you as well," Kaiya added. "As you found out, there's many variations of gadgets us secret agents have access to. Whether useful in a mission, killing time, or not at all, we have one for just about everything. One thing's for sure, they are a must have for us, and it's one of the reasons why I enjoy being a secret agent so much in the first place."

"I can certainly see that," I admitted. "Although, I find all that overwhelming, and I'd probably get myself killed with so many gadgets like that. Anyways, I have to go to a bonding session with Sukey now."

"What a coincidence!" She exclaimed. "I was about to say something similar, since I'm also going to that."

"Well then, I guess we uh… are going together then."

* * *

 **-Sukey's room-**

I thought there'd be more people here, but I only saw three others, Sukey, Arishige, and Norito.

 _Why is Arishige here? I thought he'd be less than inclined to participate in a bonding session. Then again, he most likely has some other motive for being here._

"Look at you coming here with a lady," Norito commented with a devious smirk.

"My my, you two must have such rambunctious hormones to be already getting fancy in bed," Arishige said while fanning himself.

"W-what?" I stammered, hiding the redding of my face with my golden scarf. "T-there was no such actions, we were just uh… talking with each other before this."

"Don't sell yourself so short corporal, put in a little more effort and you'll give yourself the best moment in your lifetime," Kaiya teased, tousling my hair in the process.

"As cute as this is, we should move on from the subject considering that everyone has arrived," Sukey said.

"So this is really it then?" Kaiya asked with an ever so slightly bemused expression. "Five people?"

"Well, I did ask everyone," Sukey informed, biting her thumbnail. "But mostly everyone had some excuse to avoid this or would not even acknowledge my existence."

"I would have thought that Erena and Isoyo would partake in something like this," I asked, my lips pursing.

"That's what I thought too," Sukey said, her head drooping a little. "But Isoyo told me that she wanted to devote her time on some project in the art room, and Erena… I'm not even sure exactly why she rejected my invitation. I came to her room, she seemed… fearful and just said that she wasn't feeling it."

"The motive is most likely the cause of her fear," I figured, propping my chin on my fist. "Before then, we had no reason to expect any murders since escaping now is pointless, but taking away our talent is much more of a pressure inducing motive for most of us."

"So you actually believe that someone here is selfish enough to kill someone to keep their talent..." Sukey said in a sorrowful manner while looking down with a saddened gaze.

"All I know is that even without my glorious talent, I'd still have ownership over my fabulous kingdom," Arishige arrogantly stated. "Rest assured I have no interest in spilling a little blood."

"Well, not everyone has that luxury," Norito mentioned before gasping in realization. "How could I be the hero we need if I forget my herioc identity!"

"Guys please! We're supposed to be bonding not creating more reasons to distrust each other," Sukey pleaded like she was in distress.

"It is a cause for worry, but we shouldn't stress over it all the time," Kaiya said, rubbing her arms with a half frown. "Taking this time to form a relationship with one another will help ease the stress."

"I agree, we may not get many chances to do stuff like this," I added, with a small smile. "Can't stay broken apart from everyone forever, such seclusion could drive one mad."

"Right, so let us begin then!" Arishige exclaimed dramatically as if he was opening a show.

"Sadly, there's not a whole lot we can do together," Sukey lamented at the absence of available activities. "Regardless, we need to start small, so how about we create nicknames for each other. Generally, that works quite well in beginning bands."

"I go by many titles, such as 'The hero whom cleanses the land' and 'Cleanliness Hero' of course," Norito informed putting a fist to his chest with his chin up, before giving a quirky smile. "For now, I'd say just call me 'Scrubby'"

"I shall be dubbed as Mr. Fantasmiculousfulshionablometty!" Arishige exclaimed proudly, flooding his cowlick.

"E-excuse me…?" I stammered, purely flabbergasted by the overly complicated nickname.

 _It's like he combined every word that he could imagine that related to fabulous or whatever and put them together like a twisted hybrid, in fact, that's exactly what he did I'm pretty sure. The english language is not safe around this guy, yet he somehow pronounced the crazy title._

"While it's quite the unique name, I think it'd be best if you chose a easier to pronounce one," Sukey suggested with an amused smile.

"Lumiose it is then!" Arishige proclaimed in a quirky manner. "But feel free to use the first one if you want my grandest respect!"

"I'll just go by my code name 'Peppermint'," Kaiya said, twisting her sleeve.

"Peppermint? That's the Ultimate Secret Agent's code name?" The cherry locked janitor questioned, arching a brow. "I expected a more cool name… like Nightowl...

"Well, I love peppermint, and I used to always smell like it," Kaiya explained in detail with a carefree shrug. "At first it was just a casual nickname that then became my code name."

"Those are all lovely nicknames," Sukey remarked with a pleasant smile. "What about you Omezo? Any ideas for yours?"

"Uh… not really, no." I replied, shaking my head, feeling somewhat ashamed. "I've never given much thought to things like that in the past nor has anyone else around me."

"No worries, I believe 'Ace' could fit you," Sukey offered. "You know, after your main protagonist in your most famous novel."

"I'm nothing like him," I denied, frowning while looking away. "I'm no ace detective nor am I as selfless, intelligent, or desirable."

"I wouldn't say that, I'd think it'd take a genius to write such grand novels like yours," Sukey assessed in a warm tone. "And you go out of your way to please others, such as now. You could have done the same as the others, but instead you went along with it even though you were reluctant."

"I still don't see it, but whatever, I'll accept it," I said in a careless manner with a one-armed shrug of indifference.

 _I wish I was like him, but instead this is who I am, a lamenting, pessimistic author who only a few people care about as a person… But for Sukey's sake, I won't fight against her like that._

"I assume you have some name that people in your band refer to you as," Kaiya guessed, turning to the band director.

"Of course, the most common one is 'Sunny' because it's always sunny in the band room," Sukey mused, she seemed to trail off for a moment with a grin.

"You are like a ray of sunshine when you're happy from what I know," Norito remarked. "So I'd say the name fits real well."

"Yeah… except I have not made that impression since I've come here," Sukey said in remorse, sounding disappointed in herself.

"I don't think anyone could be that way in this situation unless you are just naive," I commented, hoping that it'd help her feel more confident.

"Now that we've gotten that done with." Sukey started, sounding a little more upbeat. "Let's figure out an activity we could do."

"I have the perfect idea!" Arishige exclaimed with excitement in his voice. "I can have you all try out my fantastic cosmetics, maybe even have a complete makeover, and we could turn it into a beauty contest even."

 _I knew it! The only reason he came here, just to promote his cosmetics like the greedy prick he is._

"That's all you ever care about isn't it?" I groused, crossing my arms with a displeased frown. "You and your cosmetics."

"Why wouldn't I?" Arishige asked as if I was crazy. "I have a business to uphold, and I certainly could never miss an opportunity to show off my products."

"I can give you one big reason why selling your crap should be the last thing on your mind, the killing game." I explained, beginning to become flustered. "You must not realize our situation right now, despite how obvious it is."

"I know full well what's going on," Arishige corrected in a firm manner, straightening his magenta jacket.

"Then treat it like you actually care then," I countered, covering half my face with the palm of my hand in agitation.

"Is it that much of an issue?" Kaiya genuinely asked, attempting to quell the situation. "He just enjoys his fashion, maybe it's how he wishes to cope with the killing game."

"Sukey did not invite him here to advertise his dang products, none of his cosmetics will help in this," I chided with a scowl. "We're here to develop trust in each other, and instead, he's taking advantage of it by using it as a way to sell his crap. It's just disrespectful to Suk- Sunny."

"Where else can I do my job?! It's not like I had any chance to bring my cosmetics to people's lives out there where there's just a bunch of crazies!" Arishige defended with full force. "This is the first time in this tragedy that I've had to talk with normal people who've yet to be exposed to my wondrous products. At least I'm not harming anyone."

"You two please! Let's not start arguing like this..." Sukey pleaded, placing her hands to her head with a distraught expression. "I understand your frustrations Omezo but it's not needed right now. I for one, thought that Arishige's idea was nice, even if he truly just wants to sell his stuff. Additionally, he has been patient, and seems to care about the purpose of this meeting as he has not left yet."

"And I never planned on it," Arishige said, fanning himself with a hand. "I do enjoy a bit of commune here and there. However, I did not expect to be harrassed."

"We can do your beauty contest idea next time," Sukey compromised, then she turned to me with a understand look. "I'm sure you know how detrimental your attitude was. So please, for the sake of this bonding session, keep it to yourself… for me…"

"I… *sigh* You're right, I got out of hand…" I admitted in defeat, shaking my head. "I apologize…"

 _How can I resist complying, she's too innocent for me to just ruin this moment for her… Jeez, I can't believe how much I began to sound like my father in his teen days just then. I got worked up way too easily there..._

"Since that didn't work out, allow me to suggest a dance party," Kaiya piped up as if nothing happened.

"How is that possible?" Norito asked, as his expression became puzzled. "I don't remember seeing any musical devices around here."

"That'd be where you're wrong Scrubby!" Kaiya corrected with a smirk as she whipped out a disco ball that I recognized. "Luckily, I was given a disco ball that also doubles as any sports ball! It even plays music."

"Aha! Now I can show off my floor cleaning dance moves!" Norito exclaimed happily, he then began spinning his mop around on the floor and finished by leaning in with the mop, planting a kiss on the handle. "But first, I want to go grab a bite to eat, and I'll probably bring some snacks back with me for everyone as well."

"That sounds good to me," Sukey agreed wholeheartedly..

"I'll be back in a jiffy!" Norito mentioned with a grin as he sped on out of the room.

"I don't think I'll be doing any dancing though," I said, leaning against the wall, running my hand through my dark blue hair. "Since I'd rather not look like a fool."

"Well, I could teach you," Sukey offered with an infectious smile. "Just join me and I can show you some simple dance moves, or you can just stick with me and I'll do the work for you."

"Um… n-no thanks," I stammered, once again hiding my now cherry red cheeks with my scarf. "I'll probably just cause you to trip or something."

 _I'm convinced that every girl is just trying to make me blush like this… it's like their main goal in life at this point..._

"Well, we cannot start without Scrubby, so in the meantime, we could set up the room for a proper dance floor where we won't break everything," Kaiya suggested.

 _ **We spent the next 45 minutes moving furniture around and making idle conversation.**_

"You would think that he'd be back by now…" Sukey commented, rubbing the side of her neck with a frown. "He did say 'in a jiffy' right?"

"He sure did, maybe his definition of 'jiffy' is different than ours," I mused, rubbing my hand along my jawline. "But all he was doing was grabbing snacks, it cannot be that hard."

"What are they running away from him?" Kaiya joked with a playful smirk, before shrugging. "Or maybe Sozen just decided to not let him go"

"If that were the case he'd be back by now," I pointed out, stuffing my hands into my pockets.

 _Is this it then, the moment where we find out that someone cracked under the pressure of the motive… but why Norito? He doesn't deserve death like that… crap, I'm jumping to conclusions again..._

"This is beginning to become worrying," Sukey said with a worrying glance at the door to the hallway.

"Did he truly get killed then?" Arishige asked, flicking away invisible tears before clutching his chest. "Oh woe is me! This world just gets darker and darker as time moves on…"

"...I don't believe that's the case though," Sukey said with a nervous chuckle, following up with an unsure smile. "He probably just got distracted somehow, maybe the people that went with him to the cafeteria wanted to speak with him."

"For 45 minutes? That's a bit too long of a conversation for near strangers to have, especially at this time," I said, the doubt evident in my voice.

"If he is dead, then we would have heard something about it by now," Kaiya brought up with a thoughtful expression as she began to approach the door to the hallway. "Maybe we should just chec-"

 _*Ding dong, bing bong*_

My heart skipped a beat as I heard the monitor in the room flick on, revealing a sneering Monotokage.

She chortled, lashing her tail about. "A body has been discovered! About damn time one of you idiots realized how dull this shit was, thanks for stirring the pot unnamed blackened!" She thanked with a snort. "Now here's the lowdown, y'all take this time to search for any clues and then we begin the trial. Gahahahaha! I've been waiting for this feeling of excitement for too long!"

* * *

 **Review Responses:**

 _ThePLOThand: I have noticed that this story is successful when compared to other stories featuring only OCs from the author, and I don't know why exactly. Although, it's still not a whole lot. This story only has 202 views total, which is very low. Timeless, my other SYOC story has 2,000 more views than this one, and it only has one fourth of a prologue done and posted. When it comes down to it, I think exposure is the only way this story will get as much fame as SYOC and canon character based stories, and I'm not the type of guy to start promoting my story like it's the most important thing in the world, I'll let the exposure come naturally from the fans and such._

 _Katastic Writer: Don't start being ashamed to be unable to review soon or at all, it's really not that big of a deal. I mean, I love reading reviews, and I don't think I'd be writing this story without them bringing in the encouragement, but I understand if you just can't or have nothing to say. You know, I just looked up if there was a disorder that didn't allow someone to feel emotion, and when I saw that it was a thing I was like "There's my reason for Isoyo's emotionless personality" because originally I was just going to have her reason for it be because she only wanted to express her emotion threw her art and only her heart and she just forgot how to properly react to certain thing. Luckily, I did not take that route, as I thought it wasn't that good of a reason for not showing emotion._

 _Pokemansuperallstar: I did intend for Juro to be the pocket "idiot" of the group, because you always need em! It would be to boring if everyone knew what they were doing. In no means did I give Norito a relation to your OC in that way, considering that I created him way before Horizon existed, but yeah man, he'd clean your room ten times over free of charge even, if you're nice enough anyways. Oh yeah, Omezo's got that nasty skeleton in his closet for sure._


	6. Chapter 1-4: How the Water Flows

The agent staggered back a bit. "T-that's… unbelievable…" Kaiya sputtered as a haunted expression filled her face.

I looked away with my arms folded. "There's no mistaking it, that announcement means one of us has… fallen," I confirmed sorrowfully, covering my mouth.

"N-no… this t-this should never have happened..." Sukey muttered with a somber expression, rubbing her forearm.

"What are you all wallowing for? We should make way to the dreadful scene!" Arishige commanded as if he was playing the hero. "Chop chop!"

* * *

 **-Ultimate dorms 2nd floor-**

As we all busted through the door and into the hallway, we immediately turned to heads towards the direction of the stairways to see everyone else staring out the balcony with fear and sorrow in their eyes and expressions. We all darted to them and looked at where their eyes were transfixed on. We did not see Norito's body like we'd expected, but it was just as horrifying, and it all became a haze once I realized what we were looking at.

There, hanging from the balcony, swaying back and forth was the lifeless body of the once energetic Erena Takagi, the Ultimate Biologist herself, as my mind struggled to come back to reality, the body stopped it's motion.

 _It's all just too shocking, even though I know what happens in these games, it's still not enough to combat the real life experience of seeing someone who was alive not all too long ago turn up as a lifeless body, swaying slowly back and forth above the ground, like a twisted pendulum._

"Erena… is it really true..." Isoyo said while looking down to the side with her arms folded.

"There's no denying the overlying truth, Erena has left us and won't be coming back," The twins affirmed, lacing their hands together with sorrowful expressions.

"Some piece of shit bastard went and fuckin' did it!" Juro blurted out angrily, balling his fists up then punching them together with a growl. "The moment I know who the hell it is they're going to never forget the feeling of my foot going up their ass!"

"It pains me to believe that someone actually killed her, just when I was beginning to strengthen our bonds," Sukey whimpered while burying her face in her hands.

"Guess that motive hit deeper than we could ever imagine," I mused, rubbing my shoulder as my brows creased.

"It was just a bluff…how could they not see that?" Heikichi said, wiping his face slowly while shaking his head. "Son of a…"

Suddenly, Monotokage popped out of nowhere, holding some kind of black file, labeled #1 in purple.

"Aaaaaaaiiiiieeeeeeeee!" Leiko shrieked at the top of her lungs, causing some of us to cover our ears. "Stop using your dimensional traveling powers like that! At least warn us first…"

"Say what?" Monotokage questioned in a confused tone while tilting her head.

"Get out of here you pest!" Norito shouted, quickly aiming his mop at the dark purple and white lizard. "It's your fault that this happened."

"OH, so I'm the pest… sure, not like I have anything helpful to give you," The lizard said in an offended tone. "As far as I'm concerned, the blackened hiding among you is the pest."

"Just let her speak, she seems to have something to give us," Nene suggested, sounding slightly annoyed.

"On her side now are you?" Leiko inquired before tossing out an accusatory finger and glance. "I bet you're the killer huh!?"

"Please. It's more likely that one of you pathetic beings succumbed under the pressure," Nene rolled her eyes before crossing her arms with an unamused frown. "Unlike the rest of you, I don't crack at all."

"Keh…" Kado offered a sharp laugh. "Always the same with you mortals, tossing the blame around till it settles while whimpering in the corner. Don't you realize what this game is about?"

"Can I just go back to my room? I think my make-up is cracking…" Arishige requested with an awkward smile as he looked at himself throw a overly fancy hand-held mirror.

"Why are you concerned about that?!" Heikichi gawked in utter confusion, putting a hand on top of his head.

"Possibly because he wishes to hide some evidence," Kaiya offered, rubbing her chin.

"Jeez, you could cut this tension with butter!" Monotokage commented in a hearty tone. "But just allow me to hand you this handy dandy Monotokage file #1!"

"Why should we trust your files?" Sozen queried with suspicion while crossing his arms and tapping his forearm with a finger. "You've proven to screw around with us before."

"Because, It's in the script that I at least provide you information of the murder," The robotic lizard answered, placing a hand on her hip.

"Just accept the damn file idiots," Anzai demanded with a huff of annoyance as he put on his monocle. "We're are lucky that our host oh so graciously offered us some assistance in the first place."

"I'll just leave it on the floor until someone decides to read it," Monotokage carefully stated, laying the file down gently, giving it a pat. "Good luck on finding the blackened, bozos, toodaloo!"

After she left, I decided to pick it up and read it since everyone else was either staring at it skeptically or still frozen in fear.

"The victim is Erena Takagi the Ultimate Biologist. The body was discovered hanging from the neck on the chandelier in the ultimate dorms. Death was due to choking, and there is a single deep gash on the left elbow. The body was found at 8:20 P.M.," I read aloud.

 ***Truth bullet added***

 **Monotokage file #1**

 **Victim: Erena Takagi the Ultimate Biologist**

 **The body was discovered at 8:20 P.M. hanging from the neck on the chandelier in the ultimate dorms. Cause of death was due to asphyxiation. There is a single deep gash on the left elbow and bruising around the neck.**

A ding sounded from our handbooks. I looked to see that there was something new to look at in the truth bullet section. Tapping on it revealed that the file's information was listed there.

"Does this mean that we all get the information others find?" Kaiya inquired.

Monotokage showed up again, making a few of us jump.

"Nope, otherwise, everyone can just make one person do all the slave work while they kick back and relax," She explained. "And where's the fairness in that? So y'all better get to work or you'll be clueless in the trial!"

She jumped off again.

"Good, that means I won't have you peasants relying on my superior genius mind," Anzai said with relief in his tone, offering a smug look as well.

"Like we'd inflate your ego any further," Heikichi shook his head with his hands on his hips.

"Well, we better start investigating, we only have so much time," Sozen recommended with urgency before letting loose a sigh.

 **-Investigation begin!-**

Everyone spread out in their own direction. Leaving me alone with Sozen and Kaiya.

"You don't look all too worse for wear like mostly everyone else," I scrutinized, looking at Sozen's stoic expression.

"Not to sound cold, but I've seen many lifeless bodies throughout my life, so I've gotten used to it," He explained in a sullen tone. "I still wish things could have been different as Erena was one of the few who wanted to unify us... and now she's gone."

 _Makes sense, a sheriff with as high a stature as Sozen probably went through a lot of gruesome events._

"It is quite... depressing…" I mumbled in response. "So… uh… Do you have any advice on how to investigate? You must have some expertise here."

"All you need to do is talk with everyone, search every single spot, and gather alibis. That's what your priorities should be," The sheriff advised, lifting his chin up.

"So, in that case, do you have anything to offer?"

"As you know, I patrol at nighttime at 7:00 P.M. until I can no longer remain awake, keeping track of everyone who leaves and enters their rooms. Everyone is meant to be in their rooms at 10:00 P.M. as discussed," The dark grey haired boy informed, closing his eyes in thought.

"Did you notice anything then?"

"Nothing suspicious anyways, not that many people decided to leave any of the dorm rooms besides Juro, Heikichi, Norito, Isoyo, Rikako, and Kado," Sozen enlightened in a gruff tone. "None of them were doing anything wrong or even remotely off that night, unless you count Kado speaking with me for a bit."

"I see…" I rubbed my jawline with a contemplative expression

"I did leave to check on Norito and Rikako at 8 o'clock PM in the cafeteria, as to why I deemed it necessary to do that. Kashiwa had informed me that he saw Rikako and Shuuyo chasing Norito into the cafeteria as he was passing by the balcony," Sozen notified, tapping his foot.

"He was not lying was he?"

"Not that time, you can ask them yourself," He confirmed, raising his hand to his chest. "Continuing on, I thought I'd have to put a stop to this, considering that for one, I remember only letting Rikako leave and not her sister. Apparently, Shuuyo had managed her down to the lower floor without me noticing. Unfortunately, I did not return in time for the announcement due to me arguing with them quite a bit."

 ***Truth bullet added***

 **Sozen's patrol**

 **Sozen regularly patrols outside of the dorm rooms starting at 7 to 10 P.M., keeping track of everyone who leaves and enters their rooms. He never saw Erena or anyone suspicious any time after 7 P.M. Kado had spoke with him at some point and told him about the twins chasing Norito into the cafeteria, actively going against Sozen's rules. Sozen eventually went to put a stop to whatever the twins were doing and argued with them until the body announcement.**

 _I wonder if that means the killer waited until Sozen left to do their deed. It would make the most logical sense after all. That or Sozen is the culprit, but somehow I doubt that. I do wonder how Shuuyo was able to make her way to the lower floor without being seen by Sozen. Is there some secret pathway we missed in our initial investigation of this floor? Regardless, I doubt the twins are our culprits since they were busied by other people, so it shouldn't matter anyways._

"Hey Kaiya, have anything to say?" I asked, turning to the turquoise haired girl.

"Other than the crippling feeling of sadness over my body?" She quired with a frown.

"Yes… preferably something helpful," I requested with a small smile.

"Honestly, I don't know what I can say, but the body is unreachable from here," The agent apprised, biting a strand of her hair as her eyes scrutinized the details of the chandelier. "In fact, the chandelier is about 8 feet away from us, and a bit above the balcony, so I presume that the killer would have to had lowered it to the first floor in order to put her up there."

 _That would mean whoever went to the lower floor is the only one who could have done it… however, Sozen said that only Norito and the twins went down there, and I don't see how any of them could lower the chandelier and place a body on it without being seen… unless Sozen did it, because only he would have the chance to do that without an eyewitness… but I cannot see him ever murdering someone. Whatever, there's still more to find, so I shouldn't begin suspecting anyone just yet._

"That would make sense… it is quite the distance to throw a body, not many would be able to do it," I added with a pensive look.

"Unless they used some kind of nifty gadget, like a extendo-arm!" Kaiya suddenly raised her voice as if she won the lottery, before looking doubtful. "But no one has access to that kind of technology other than me so that's stupid to think…"

"It may also be important to note that the chandelier is firmly locked in place by it's support beam, which explains why it is not leaning," Sozen brought up, gesturing to the steel beam that was holding the chandelier.

 ***Truth bullet added***

 **Chandelier**

 **The chandelier is a bit above the balcony, and hangs 8 feet away from it. It's also locked firmly in place by it's support beam to the ceiling.**

 _I should take a look at what else is on the chandelier besides her body._

Upon closer inspection, I could see that the rope encircling her neck was tied to a long metal rod that had hooked on three of the arms of the chandelier facing towards us.

 ***Truth bullets added***

 **Rope**

 **Standard industrial grade rope, tied to a metal pole. It tightly encircles the victim's throat.**

 **Metal rod**

 **The rope was attached to this long metal rod which is hooked on three of the arms of the chandelier facing the balcony.**

 _Clearly, the point of the metal rod and rope is to make sure the body stays hanging from the chandelier, the metal rod acting as a hook stopping the body from slipping onto the floor. However, the rod isn't long enough to make getting the body on there in the first place from here any easier._

There was nothing else to find here so I decided to begin searching downstairs.

* * *

 **-Ultimate dorms 1st floor-**

I saw Heikichi observing a knife that was stuck into the control panel that operates the chandelier. He looked both perplexed and on edge.

"Heikichi?" I asked with curiosity, my brow furrowing.

"Look, the only thing I have to offer is that I saw Erena at 7:20 P.M. entering her room, and to make things clear, I'm pretty sure she was breathing," He quickly answered in a irritated tone.

 ***Truth bullet added***

 **Glimpse of Erena**

 **Heikichi had seen Erena entering her room at 7:20 P.M.**

"Is that all? I can tell that there's something off about the panel," I inquired as my eyes flitted over to the broken panel.

"Obviously the killer stabbed this knife, which was most likely obtained from the kitchen, into the panel, completely busting the controls, probably to keep us from having any chance of reaching the body," He explained, adjusting his visor.

"They certainly thought ahead."

"Yeah well, it's strange though, because this panel was not unlocked in the first place, remember?"

* * *

 ***Flashback***

 _"You guys love to go the full length when it comes to escaping dontcha?" Monotokage mocked with joy, grabbing her stomach. "It's absolutely hilarious! Gahahahaha~!"_

She then left.

"I'm conducting a search on my own," Nene announced, as she left the room.

"I'll be following miss Wakisaka's example," Anzai said, switching to the monocle. " Since you lot are dreadfully below average intelligence."

He also left the room the same way.

"We aren't very good at this whole 'bonding' thing it seems," Heikichi said as he stopped attempting to hack into the panel. "I really don't need to bother with this anymore."

 ***End flashback***

* * *

"Yeah, I understand your confusion," I said in remembrance of the scene.

 _If there's no way they could have lowered the chandelier, than they would have had to thrown the body, to which we already proven to be highly unlikely. This continues to become more and more puzzling._

 ***Truth bullets added***

 **Broken control pad**

 **The control pad that lowers the chandelier has been completely busted by a knife lodged into it. The knife itself is completely clean.**

 **Heikichi's account**

 **According to him, the control pad was electronically locked before the murder, and still is despite it being broken now.**

"It aggravates me that we even have to do this in the first place," The hacker complained with an irritated expression. "I thought the last of us ultimates would be smart enough to call Monotokage's bluff."

"What makes you so confident that she was bluffing?" I questioned, arching a brow with a curious glance.

"You can't just remove talent, even if you got rid of anything in your memory related to it," He reasoned, frowning. "Our talents are integrated into who we are, we'll just relearn that we have them anyways."

"That's true... for those that have natural talent," I semi-agreed, before shaking my head. "I'm pretty sure that's not the case for every ultimate out there. Even then, just the idea of losing who you essentially are is quite terrifying."

"Sure… whatever, we'll just have to hear it from the horse's mouth then," He said, tapping on his device with an indifferent expression. "Then I'll decide if I resent them for putting as through the ringer like this."

"That's certainly a better way to go about it," I mused. Figuring that I was done here, I then began walking over to Isoyo whom was crouching over something on the floor.

"Isoyo, I see you've found something on interest," I presumed, as I leaned over the petite girl's shoulder.

"I have, there's bloody shards of glass here, underneath Erena's… body," She informed as she stood up, allowing me a better view of what she was looking at.

 ***Truth bullet added***

 **Shards of glass**

 **Bloodied shards of glass found on the floor below the victim's body.**

"This must be really devastating for you…" I assumed, offering a concerned look.

"I've never felt worse in my life…" Isoyo admitted, slumping her shoulders while closing her eyes. "Trust me, I'm sad, even if I don't show it, I would be crying right now too."

"I can imagine the tears alright," I said with a sad smile.

"Just promise me you'll avenge her death, I want her to rest peacefully," The light brown haired artist requested, looking up at me.

"Of course, It's just the matter of piecing this puzzle together," I reassured in a sympathetic tone. "Which I'm sure we'll be able to do so long as we keep our heads together during the trial."

"..." She simply looked up at Erena with a neutral expression.

 _Poor girl, even though I'm actually not entirely confident we'll be able to succeed, we have to try… for her and Erena's sake._

"Wait… before you go… I have something to say," Isoyo piped up, pushing up her hat.

"I'm listening," I said, my interest piqued.

"I saw Erena enter the bathroom in her room at 7:30 P.M.," She notified, clasping her hands together to her chest while looking away.

 ***Truth bullet updated***

 **Glimpses of Erena**

 **Heikichi had seen Erena entering her room at 7:20 P.M. Isoyo saw Erena enter the bathroom in her room at 7:30 P.M.**

"What were you doing in her room so close to the time of her death?" I questioned, thumbing my chin.

"Please… don't start accusing me…" The artist requested between long pauses as she twiddled with a paintbrush, looking down.

"Right uh… sorry, but you have to explain for us to get anywhere," I mentioned, my eyes softening.

"...I was returning her flower to her, because... she left it in the art room while we were hanging out," she informed, squeezing her fingers. "I placed it on the table in her room... next to the other potted plants."

 ***Truth bullet added***

 **Isoyo's account**

 **Isoyo had visited Erena's room at 7:30 P.M. She was returning a flower that Erena had left behind in the art room, placing it on the table with the potted plants.**

"Is that all?"

"..." She went back to staring up at Erena.

 _I'm guessing yes then._

With nothing else to see here, I went to search the cafeteria since that's where the knife came from.

* * *

 **-Cafeteria-**

In here I could see the twins and our good ole buddy Anzai. I approached the twins first.

"Did you two find anything useful?" I inquired, crossing my arms with my brow furrowed.

"Nothing…" Rikako started with a sullen expression.

"Nothing but lost souls wandering the now gravely halls," Shuuyo continued, tracing her hand across her chest.

"Why the use of the plural form of soul?" I questioned, rubbing my chin.

"Erena is not the only victim, the staff here must have been killed off as well by the vile reptile," Rikako explained, turning to her sister with a somber look.

"So there souls are trapped here as well, forever, unless we avenge them by destroying our robotic overlord," Shuuyo finished, trailing her hand across her sister's demon wings with a thin smile.

"Oh…" I scratched my neck. "Anyways, Sozen told me that he found you guys with Norito, what was that about?"

"Nothing but a little fun~" Rikako purred as she offered an innocent but mischievous look.

"As in, tormenting the cleanfreak~" Shuuyo said in a sing song voice, her lips pulled into an unnerving grin.

"If only you were there to see his very horrified expressions hmhmhmhmm~" The twins resonated, covering their lips with their forefingers.

"And when did you first start your _fun_?" I inquired, crossing my arms while leaning on a foot.

"Precisely at 7 P.M. until the dreadful announcement that some poor soul had crossed the plain of oblivion," The ghostly pale girls answered, twirling each other's black and magenta hair.

 _I do recall Norito leaving to go grab some snacks for the bonding thing we were apart of at that time. So this means they have a strong alibi._

 ***Truth bullet added***

 **Noritoshi, Shuuyo, and Rikako's alibi**

 **While Noritoshi was getting snacks from the cafeteria , the twins had chased him into the kitchen for their amusement at 7:20 P.M. and continued to torment him until they were stopped by Sozen at 8:00 P.M. They along with Noritoshi and Sozen, did not leave until the body announcement.**

"Shuuyo, Do you mind me asking you how you managed to get to the first floor of the dorms without being seen?" I questioned, stroking my jawline. "I know that your sister was already there with Norito, but Sozen told me you never came up to him for permission."

"I used the laundry chute as it was not a long fall, not to mention, the soft landing awaiting me at the bottom," The angel winged girl responded with a soft smile.

"Wait, but how? I recall Monotokage stating that she wasn't allowing live bodies down the chute," My eyes widened slightly in confusion.

"She made an exception since me and my sis's goals were to terrorize someone," Rikako clarified, lacing her hands above her black and white blouse.

"It's true, and the lizard said it like this," Shuuyo began as she took a deep breathe. "Yahehehehe~ well, a little terrorization for fun never ceases to add some entertainment into this game, so I'll allow it seeing that it benefits the both of us!" The angel winged girl then gave a look of disgust. "God… I never realized how gross that voice was until I mimicked it."

"Unfortunately, the laundry room door was re-locked afterwards," Rikako mentioned with disappointment.

"Right then, that um… explains it quite well."

 _If that lizard allows people to just break her own rules for reasons like that, then it wouldn't be unwise to believe that she'd let the murderer do the same. Geez, Monotokage certainly doesn't give a damn when it come to rules unlike Monokuma… it really shows that she's taking the game in a different direction._

I began to approach Anzai to question him, but I'm not expecting much help from him in the first place. It'd sooner end in him flaunting his intelligence and nothing more. I would say it doesn't hurt to try, but in this case, it might.

"Before you ask, let me tell you that I plan on not sharing," The genius boy notified me with an uninterested sigh.

 _Totally did not see that coming..._

"You do know that we all need to discover the true killer in order to live," I told him as he went out of his way to avoid looking anywhere near me. "This is a team effort."

"Doesn't mean I have to assist you imbeciles. What's one less hand in the mix when there's 14 of you?" Anzai countered, pulling up his black, #1 student armband, before putting on the sunglasses. "Besides, I ain't got a single fuck fuckin' reason to worry!"

"Do you even have a reason for talking so big?"

"When will you learn…?" he voiced his disappoint, offering a facepalm before switching his sunglasses for the horn-rimmed glasses. "My genius level transcends the gods themselves! Minerva herself fears my intelligence."

"In other words, I have already figured this out," He continued, going back to his round glasses with a confident smirk. "Our killer isn't all too clever enough to fool mwah."

"Um… I don't know if I can believe that," I gave a skeptical grin as I plucked at my scarf.

"No it's fine, your tiny brain just can't help but feel jealous, so naturally you won't admit that I am superior in every way," The slate haired boy reassured, patting my shoulder with a fake expression of understanding. "We can't all be perfect."

 _As I thought, Anzai chooses to show off his ego rather than lend any hands. I just hope he doesn't try calling the shots and turns up wrong and we all die because of his arrogance, as great as seeing his face when he turns up wrong would be, It's not worth our lives._

I brushed by Anzai and took a look in the kitchen and did see that there was a knife missing from the holder, so it did come from here. Other than that, there wasn't anything important here so I decided to check out the art room.

* * *

 **-Art room-**

Upon entering the room, I immediately noticed that a certain object I expected to be here was missing. Among other things, Masakado and Nene were here.

"I see you've seen it too, or more specifically, have not seen it," Kado remarked, scraping the sides of the bone spikes on his arms with his black dagger.

"Yeah, the statue of Erena is not here," I discerned, resting a finger on my dark blue chic vest's neckline with a pensive expression. "But the question is why?"

"Perhaps Isoyo took it so that she could be reminded of her fallen friend," The jade and black haired boy offered.

"That's oddly nice of you to assume," I commented with a hint of surprise in my voice.

"Did you want me to say that she wants to keep memory of just how lifeless and cold Erena's current form is?" The cult leader sneered.

"That's more like what I expected."

"Hmph…" Kado folded his arms across his chest with his eyes closed. "Either way, it may come into play later. So let's make sure we remember the fact."

 ***Truth bullet added***

 **Missing wax statue**

 **The wax replica of Erena is missing from the art room.**

 _My guess is that Isoyo did in fact take it for remembrance, but then again, why not wait to do that after the trial, I certainly can't dismiss this as not being strange in the slightest._

"Tell me, do you fear death?" Kado inquired at me, while leaning against the wall. "Do you mourn for those who fall prey to death's grip all too soon such as our dear old biologist?"

"No, I don't fear death, I'd just rather not experience it till I'm an old fool," I gave an honest answer, before giving a solemn look. "And I wouldn't mourn for others normally, but I do feel sorrowful for Erena, she was too naive and kindhearted for this world, and that made her a rare treat so to say. She did not deserve this fate.

"What pitiful thoughts…" He remarked, displeasure ridden in his tone. "Such feelings are meaningless… why must humans continue to cling onto such falsities to the very end…?"

"Because it's natural to see death as undesirable, as only the insane embrace it. It's human to feel saddened by the death of someone who only wished for peace and was trying to be kind to others even if necessary," I explained with a slightly annoyed expression. "It's a little thing called emotion you know? Maybe you should try it."

He sneered. "Keh..." He gave me a sharp look that nearly made me jump. "Maybe in the past would that statement be true. In this day and age of pure terror, isn't it better to believe that death is our only savior from the tendrils of despair? We all know what happens to us ultimates, we only end up as pawns for destruction and if we try to run we perish… kekekeke… you see, Erena is the fortunate one here, she can rest peacefully in the afterlife while we suffer in this world."

A sweat drop formed at my brow. "Alright, now you're just… uh... acting crazy," I said, resting my hands on my belt, shaking my head numbly. "Before you were just some mildly sinister guy who seemed to just like… um, messing with people, now you really are taking up that title of yours in personality."

"Am I the madman? Or is everyone else?" He queried with a smirk as he traced his jade pentagram that hung from his neck. "By all means, continue to subject yourself to the torture of life, I'll just be on my merry way draining the blood from my body to escape this hell. You'll find my body resting easy by the next hour."

 _I amazes me how sinister this guy is while simultaneously sounding reasonable. It does make sense in a way, what he's saying, but there's a better way to go about it I'm sure. Additionally, I doubt he actually plans on killing himself, that's just one of his lies._

I shook my head in response. "Look, I don't believe that'll happen," I said doubtfully with a frown. "If you truly embrace death, then you wouldn't have come here to survive like the rest of us, in fact, we would only have had 15 ultimates left in the first place."

"Hmpf…" The cult leader arms went lax as he offered a shrug. "I suppose you caught me in the act. You see, I cannot even end my own existence as I am eternally bound to this hellish land. I was merely hoping that you'd understand my plight, and maybe learn of the only way out, but alas, you are just as blind as the others."

"You know what, I think I'm done listening to your nonsense for one day," I shook my head and went over to where Nene was standing.

"Are you here to take note of these as well?" She gestured to some wooden sticks that are sitting on a table."You probably don't know it, but these were not here before the murder."

"How can you be sure of that?" I inquired with interest.

"I was here last, that's why," The blonde mohawked girl quickly answered with a small frown.

"What were you even doing?" I probed further with a nervous grin. "I never took you for the artsy type."

"I was not here participating in a weakling hobby," The fencer responded, her brow furrowing in agitation. "I was polishing my rapier."

"I… uh, didn't know the right tools were in here..." I said with a bit of surprise.

"Stop suspecting me before I show you another way to polish a rapier," Nene warned with venom in her voice as she unsheathed her rapier, pointing it's tip unnervingly close to my neck. "I'll lend you a hint, it involves bones."

"O-okay okay... " I croaked out, holding up my hands defensively. "I'm just… um... trying to make sure I can get every bit of information after all."

The fencer let out a sigh. "At least you learned to take me seriously," She mentioned, sheathing her rapier. "Others have yet to understand."

She then left the room.

 _It'll always end up with her rapier at anyone's neck no matter when or what is happening. She did help with what she said though, that's more than I can say to other people here._

I took a ruler out of a drawer nearby to get measurements on the sticks. They were 1 inch thick, 1 inch wide, and 2 inches long. I could even see some saw marks on the ends some of them.

 ***Truth bullet added***

 **Sturdy wooden sticks**

 **1 inch thick, 2 inches long, and 1 inch wide wooden sticks were found sitting on top of the table in the art room. Apparently, they were not there until after the murder. They also had saw marks on the ends of some of them and are quite study, enough to resist a good amount force without breaking.**

Figuring that there was nothing left to find, I went into the garden.

* * *

 **-Botanical garden-**

I only saw Juro in here, so that probably means there's nothing helpful here.

The soccer player punched the wall in anger. "It's just so goddamn frustrating that we have to do this!" Juro exclaimed as he stomped around in circles. "The bastard better get what they deserve."

My brows furrowed. "Are you saying you support the executions?"

He looked at me funny. "Executions? I'm just saying that they should get a quick death, so long as they are punished properly," The sandy blonde haired boy said, cracking his knuckled. "If it's just a slap to the wrist then I'll be goddamn furious!"

 _If this isn't him being furious, then I shudder to think of how worse he can get. However, he must not know about the other killing games, judging by his confusion towards the executions._

I firmly shook my head. "We don't even know their reason yet, it might be reasonable enough to not deem them deserving of that fate."

The irritated boy ran a hand through his hair. "Uh, weren't you there when the motive was announced, we know exactly why the fuck they did it!" He folded his arms tightly as he growled. "for their asshole desire to keep their talent!"

"I'm sure they'll be more to it than that," I offered a nervous smile.

He shrugged with a short laugh. "So what?! if we look at who cares most about their skill, then it must be Anzai!" He accused, putting a finger to his temple in thought. "That pussyboy is always flaunting it like the shithead he is!"

"Let's actually investigate before we accuse," I said, in a disgruntled tone, before giving his a look of suspicion. "Which leads me to asking what you were doing out at night yesterday."

"Huh? I was just getting some exercise to relieve stress," The soccer player answered with a nervous chuckle, offering a look of denial. "Totally not suspicious dude, and if you think it is, then that's whack as fuck."

I glanced at him skeptically. "Right… did you see anything worth noting?"

"Well, I had seen Erena alive and in shape sitting on the couch in the hallway of the dorms," He informed, tilting his head far to the left, thumbing his chin. "That was… 8 P.M. Exact. Although, I only payed attention to her for a sec."

 ***Truth bullet updated***

 **Glimpses of Erena**

 **Heikichi had seen Erena entering her room at 7:20 P.M. Isoyo saw Erena enter the bathroom in her room at 7:30. Jurobei had seen Erena sitting on the couch in the hallway of the dorms at 8:00 P.M.**

 _So she was alive by 8, meaning the murder could have only occurred between 8 and 8:20 P.M. This also compliments when Sozen left his post. It does ring suspicious that Juro saw her last, so close to when she was most likely killed… but is he really capable of doing this? He's not the brightest after all. This case seems to complicated for him, again, I find myself sounding rude._

I searched high and low but found anything but evidence. So I went back to the dorms and headed upstairs to try to search Erena's room.

* * *

 **-Ultimate dorms 2nd floor-**

Before making it there I got intersected by Leiko, causing us to bump into each other full force. Of course, my face just had to make direct contact into her breasts. Naturally, I was blushing hard.

"Are you blind?!" The demonologist accused, jabbing a finger into my chest, nearly stabbing the sharp nail into me.

"I can see just fine," I counteracted, as I rubbed my face.

"I get it… you were paying attention... paying attention to my honkers!" The ice armored beauty accused again, staring daggers into me.

My eyes widened marginally. "U-um... " My face turned beet red once more, and I tried to cover it with my golden scarf.

The icy haired girl shook her head multiple times. "No can do sherlock. I will not allow it." She crossed her arms underneath her bosom. "You should not be investigating my body!"

"Y-you were the one who ran into me anyways," I stammered, rubbing my arm.

"Whatever, just know that I only ship myself with my pillow," She notified with a huff. "As it's the only thing that gave me pleasure so far."

"..." I stood in silence and awe of her strangeness. "Look, please tell me if you have anything actually useful to say."

She covered her mouth in shock. "Are you saying I'm useless?" She questioned, clearly offended, be giving me a sultry look. "How cruel… yet cruelty is an attractive factor."

For the third time in a row, my face heated up like a fireplace. "J-... that's not something useful…" I looked away.

She rolled her eyes. "Jeeeeezzz, where is the fun bone in your brain?" She complained.

 _Now she's making up a part of the brain, in a very incorrect way considering there would not be bone in anyone's brain._

"Thanks to my demonic all-seeing eye I was the first on the scene to discover Erena's corpse, along with Juro. I also happened to see Isoyo standing in front of the laundry cart, staring dead at Erena's body," The demonologist informed, flipping through some book. "The demon, caveman, and robot, what a iconic trio!"

 _Then they were the ones who triggered the body announcement. Maybe one of them are the killers._

 ***Truth bullet added***

 **Jurobei & Leiko's arrival on the scene**

 **They were two of the three to see Erena's body hanging from the chandelier. Right before the body announcement played, Leiko noticed Isoyo standing in front of the laundry cart next to the laundry chute.** **Making them the ones to set off the body announcement.**

"I know what you were thinking bookworm!" Monotokage exclaimed as she jumped down from above. "But the killer does not count towards the announcement."

"There goes my theory," I lamented, looking down.

"You have to be a demon! How else could you read minds?" Leiko accused, pointing at the lizard.

"For the last time I am not a freakin' demon!" Monotokage protested angrily, raising her hands up, before posing seductively. "I'm just an adorable, sexy, plush-like lizard robot thing!"

Leiko let out a huff of denial. "I don't believe you! Because I can also read minds! I knew what Omezo was thinking as well!" She bragged with an overly confident expression.

"Wanna bet?" The lizard challenged.

"You're on!" Leiko boldly accepted, pointing at Monotokage.

"Fine, then what am I thinking of right now?" Monotokage quizzed, with her arms folded.

"Hrngggggg…" Leiko put her forefingers to the sides of her temple as she struggled to think. "I know it! You were thinking about your love-hate relationship with a cute monochrome bear robot thingy!"

The lizard threw her head back in surprise. "Not right!" Monotokage denied, swishing her arm to the side, shaking her head. "Way of course even."

I stifled a small laugh. "I presume that she was reading her own mind not yours," I commented with a small smile of amusement.

The icy haired girl lifted a finger. "You could just be saying that to try and fool me!" She presumed, before offering a playful expression.. "But it's too late! I already know it's true hehe~"

Monotokage turned to me looking annoyed and tense. "Omezo, remind me to not appear when she's around, thanks," She then left with those parting words.

I sighed. "Well, I can list you, Juro, and Isoyo as innocent then since you discovered the body first," I conclude, stroking my jawline. "Unless someone else had seen the body and has not said anything."

Leiko giddely clapped her hands together. "Thank Satan for that!" she said relieved, wiping invisible sweat off her forehead. "I'm, no killer, and you can trust me because I said so!"

Thankfully, she skipped off, sparing what sanity I have left. I made it to Erena's room, but first I decided to speak with Sukey, whom was standing outside of it.

The band director was wiping her eyes, giving me a dejected glance."Who… just who…?" Sukey asked in a melancholy tone, numbly shaking her head. "Would do this…?"

"That's what we are trying to uncover," I said sympathetically, resting my hand on her shoulder with a comforting look. "Although, I cannot promise that it'll be the truth."

She buried her face in her hands. "To lose someone so important to our harmony, even if we live, how can I expect people to ever trust each other?" She asked with her voice muffled in her palms.

My brow creased. "I wouldn't say that, sometimes, things like this brings people together," I mentioned with a shrug.

The director gave me a shocked and angry look. "Do you mean this is a good thing?!" She punched my arm.

I held up my hands defensively. "N-no, t-that's not what I am trying to say…" I sputtered in my defense. "I just want you to know that you can't give up on your hope for us to ever unify just yet."

She let out a saddened sigh. "I guess you have a point…" She admitted as she slumped against the wall, resting her forehead on her hand. "But why would they choose Erena of all people…?"

I began rubbing my shoulder. "That is just another mystery, that we will have to answer," I remarked, before placing my hands on my hips. "Now then, is there anything you have to offer for our endeavors?"

"You already know this, but thanks to my bonding plan, you, Arishige, Nene, and I have alibis," Sukey explained reluctantly. "But Norito did not stay as he left at 7:35 P.M. for snacks."

 ***Truth bullet added***

 **Sukey's bonding plan**

 **Sukey, Omezo, Noritoshi, Kaiya, and Arishige were participating in a bonding activity in Sukey's room from 7:00 P.M. up until the body announcement. Noritoshi left at 7:35 P.M. to get some snacks in the cafeteria.**

"Yeah, but he still has an alibi with the twins."

The white haired girl crossed her wrist over her lap while looking down. "...when I think about it, that bonding gig protected you guys from death," She murmured in a hollow voice. "If only I had gotten Erena into it…"

"I can't help but feel bad for Isoyo, for her to lose such a great friend. If she could, I'd imagine that she'd be in tears right about now..." she continued, before furrowing her brow. "Why did the killer have to ruin the only friendship down here… they… they are a real rusty shoelace!"

 _I don't get how someone could be so angry and that be what jumps out of their mouth. She has some real restraint, and creativity at that._

With that out of the way, I took a look inside Erena's room.

* * *

 **-Erena's room-**

Generally, everything looked the same as it was yesterday. I would have checked to see if the flower Isoyo was talking about is in here, but I did not remember how many flowers were here in the first place.

"Hold it!" Someone shouted before I took another step forward in the room.

I jumped back in surprise. "W-wha!" Norito then blocked me from stepping any further, pointing his mop at me like a spear.

He looked around like a dog trying to sniff out something. "My nose is twitching… my eyes must not be deceiving me then, there is… dirt! Yes that's it!" He exclaimed, crouching down as he eyed something on the floor. "Haha! Not on my watch! No foul mess will escape me!"

"Uh… what are you talking about exactly? I don't see it."

"Of course no citizen like you would notice what only the cleanliness hero can see!" The janitor said with a smirk. "There is a speck of dirt right there, hiding in plain sight like any criminal!"

He directed my eyes to the floor. I actually had to kneel down and really pin my eyes to the floor to see it, but he was correct, there was some dirt there.

I offered a skittish look. "Alright, but Ummmm… how is that related to the murder? Isn't logical to believe that it was there before then? I mean, there are a lot of plants in here…" I said with an addled expression.

The cherry haired boy stood up and jabbed his mop down on the floor like a cane. "That would be true if I was not here before the murder!" He exclaimed, as he covered his face as if he had a cape. "I did clean the rooms in the afternoon, and I would never ever! Miss this villainous dirt here, plaguing the poor, innocent carpet!"

 _Due to his sheer confidence, I suppose I cannot deny that it's possible that the dirt is related, but I don't see how quite yet._

 ***Truth bullet added***

 **Bit of dirt**

 **Noritoshi managed to notice the smallest speck of dirt in the carpet of Erena's room.**

He gasped as he looked to the left. "And that's not all, I can also see another stain over there!" He announced as he leaped across the room.

I looked to where he was pointing, and could see a much more clearer stain in the carpet. I got a closer peek at it, felt that it was cold to the touch, but I could not identify it as anything such as blood or something.

"I wish I knew what it was, because it might be important,"

"I don't know either, I just knew it existed," Norito shrugged as he spun his soap bar hanging from his neck around.

I then heard the door to the room open. "What a glorendous time for me to stupefy you two!" Arishige exclaimed as he entered the room. "As I know what that substance identifies as."

The janitor gawked at the effeminate boy. "Really? Then tell us," He requested with intrigue.

The cosmetologist lifted a finger with a smug look. "I can confirm without a shadow of a doubt, that it is hair dye," He identified, brushing his fuchsia jacket off smugly. "My own fabulous product in fact."

I began rubbing my jaw in thought. "That's quite peculiar, why would hair dye be stained in this room?" I mused, my mind trailing off.

Arishige rolled his eyes with a laugh. "Because my cosmetics are top notch! I say they should be staining all your floors! That one on the floor in particular is part of my 'fast acting' line of dyes. You can test one if you'd like," He bragged.

I shook my head. "Again, I'll have to reject your offer," I disclosed, rubbing my palms together.

"No matter how long the list of denials you've given goes, rest assured you will be looking glamorous due to my cosmetics in due time," The eccentric boy stated, flipping his fuchsia bangs back.

I gave him a forced smile. "I'm happy to hear that you are determined, but please don't," I kindly requested.

"I'm guessing you can't tell us the color of it?" Norito assumed, thumbing his chin.

Arishige offered a discerning frown. "I'm afraid so, it's simply improsable," He voiced, shaking his head.

 _How many portmanteaus does this man have up his sleeves?_

 ***Truth bullet added***

 **Hair dye**

 **A splash of hair dye, as identified by Arishige, staining the carpet of the victim's room. It is apparently part of the 'fast acting' line of dyes that he's created.**

Before finishing up, I made one last look around, and my eyes took me to the trash can. What I found in there was… enlightening to say the least. There was a note that was crumbled up, with noticeable blood stains on it. I opened it up and my eyes went wide at its contents.

To Erena,

Yo Erena, you should totally open the door for me at 6:00 P.M. ya rad gal. Omezo told me that I should try looking for a diffet girl to cook up that won't lily cook me up, so naturlly, you had my eyes next. I feel that we should h for a bit you know? It'd be nice to have a person to trust ght?

Signed, "The nde Bla"

While the blood covered up some of the words making them unreadable, I could tell what it meant. Even though the name is blotted out, I think the wording and poor handwriting speaks for itself to who it is.

 ***Truth bullet added***

 **Crumpled bloodied note**

 **A crumpled note found in the trash of the victim's room. It was addressed to Erena telling her to open the door if she heard a certain pattern of knocks at 6:00 P.M. it also has bits of bloodstains on it. Despite the blood covering up the signature, it's clear by the wording and handwriting that it was from Jurobei.**

 _Another reason to suspect Juro, but he was one of the three to trip the announcement, so it can't be him right? Unless, Monotokage also changed that function, then we'd have all the reason to suspect him. Disregarding that until it's proven, the killer must have wanted to plant this on him, but did not take into account that he would be one of the three to see the body first. Lady luck is on our side this time around, as this is just one less thing to worry about. That said, the blood is… strange. The file did state that Erena had a gash on her elbow, but how would her blood get on this note? It might not be hers though... this crime just got more mysterious._

 _*Ding dong, bing bong!*_

"Ahem! Investigation time is over! Please report to the white door outside of the elevator. Better hope you've got all you needed to find, otherwise, you'll be bringing nothing but bare fists to a gunfight."

 _She's talking about that one door that has been locked this entire time. I guess that was the trial room the whole time then, makes sense as to why we were not allowed there before._

* * *

 **-Outside of elevator-**

I headed over to the door and sure enough, it opened up automatically to reveal a pretty wide and long hallway. At the end lied a menacing looking elevator the same width of the hallway, enough to fit at least 30 people on it if they were all pressed together. It was just a box , with it's walls being chain link fence, and the floor and ceiling being a rusty metal plating. Just being in this hallway gave me the chills though.

Everyone else had arrived soon after me, we all stood in front of the elevator, waiting for it to open it's gate.

"So this rickety thing is what was hiding behind that door?" Kaiya asked, sounding bummed out. "That's kinda disappointing, I was hoping for a secret laboratory of sorts."

The hacker's eyes narrowed. "It looks like it's straight from a horror game," Heikichi observed with a slightly fearful expression. "It certainly fits the atmosphere of our situation."

The soccer player tensed up as he laid his eyes upon the elevator. "I'll say, it gives me the damn creeps!" Juro exclaimed, running his hands through his spiky hair.

The twins frowned, looking disheartened. "Hmhmhmhmm~ But don't we give you the creeps better than some old elevator?" They inquired, sounding offended.

"You two do have it beat in my opinion," Norito reassured the pale sisters. "But man is that thing unclean, I really hope I get the chance to spiffy it up."

The cult leader frowned slightly. "But, that would ruin the feeling of dread it gives off…" Kado remarked, twirling his dagger around.

Arishige let out a sound of disgust. "Bleh… I am not stepping in that horrid thing," He said, turning away with his arms crossed. "I can not afford to have disgusting rust rub off on me."

"Unfortunately, I don't think we have a choice," Sukey mentioned with a glum look.

I walked over to the artist whom was standing in the back. "Isoyo, do you know what happened to the statue of Erena?" I questioned.

She blinked twice. "Oh… I don't know where it went, I only just came back from the art room. I tried my best to search for it, which is why I was the last to arrive," Isoyo answered, biting her paint brush. "As you can tell, I came up short…"

 ***Truth Bullet Updated***

 **Missing wax statue**

 **The wax replica of Erena was missing from the art room and could not be found anywhere.**

 _Then it's really missing. Even with that revealed, I don't know if it even plays a role in the crime. Going over everything, I haven't the slightest clue of who the nefarious culprit is, only a few people have alibis at all and no evidence points towards anyone, except that note, but other events despute that fact._

Sozen loudly cleared his throat to get all of our attention. "I do have one thing to offer to all of you before this all begins," Sozen said as he pulled out some kind of flip-book and presented it to us. "This contains all the evidence of the crime, make sure to read it if you are not confident that you found everything so that we are all on the same page in the trial."

After we waited in silence, and a few people looked through the evidence book, the gate to the elevator finally opened, raking across the floor creating an even more dreadful atmosphere.

Juro slowly backed away from the elevator and went behind everyone. "You guys can go before me," The sandy blonde haired boy said, hiding behind Nene. "I need to to collect my… thoughts, yeah, that's why."

The fencer attempted to elbow Juro off of her but he managed to dodge it. "More like whimper in the corner," Nene remarked in annoyance, as she was the first one to step inside.

Everyone else followed suit, and the gate slowly creaked shut behind us. Then began the descent.

 _It didn't hit me until now just how shaken up I really am over what's transpiring. I can't help but feel… this knot in my stomach… this fear embedded within me, and most likely all of us as the elevator drifted downwards. Where we are heading may be our final resting place if we fail._

The elevator finally came to a halt and the gate opened up revealing a large circular room with 16 pedestals arranged in a circle, with a large chair sitting high above them in the back, observing the circle. The room was designed in a very lively sense, it looked practically like a jungle in here, complete with cardboard cutouts of animals.

The lizard greeted us with open arms. "Welcome to the trial room! Be sure to take in your surroundings, because it may be your final resting place!" She exclaimed with excitement.

"What's with the look?" Heikichi asked, arching a brow. "It's very unfitting for a trial room…"

"How dare you disrespect our fallen biologist!" Monotokage shouted, her tail swishing in anger. "This room was designed after her, as a sort of memoir."

"Doesn't that picture of her with the red X serve enough of a reminder?" Isoyo observed, pointing over to a picture of Erena sitting behind the pedestal. It had red vines that formed an X on it, and was decorated in flowers.

"That's there so she can participate in all the trials in spirit!" Monotokage explained with joy, as she held her tail close to her chest, petting it like it was a child. "May we never forget someone so kind!"

The soccer player growled. "You have no right to be saying that bastard!" He declared through clenched teeth.

"The idiot has a point, you were the one to put a fuse on her life with this killing game," Anzai pointed out, backing the blonde boy.

Monotokage turned red with anger. "Gosh… why are teenagers so disrespectful!" The lizard questioned. "I just want to honor the damn dead!"

I let out a long sigh. "Let's just start the trial already…" I requested, wanting to get this over and done with.

"Your positions are marked on the back of the pedestals, so please situate yourself at the intended one," Monotokage informed us.

We all found our places, while Monotokage sat herself upon the throne, officially initiating the start of this trial, and the game itself.

 _This is it, the trial of life or death for everyone. I've never been in a more perilous situation like this, where everything is riding on finding the truth. It's no wonder why the ultimates that went through this are scarred, this whole thing feels so dreadful and fear inducing. No matter what, at least one of us will find a fate worse than death. I… I don't know if I even want to send the culprit into one of those horrific executions, but, for whatever it takes I have to, for everyone else and Erena, just like I promised to Isoyo, we will find the blackened in this case!_

* * *

 **AN: Yes, it took me quite a bit to finish this one, and I apologize for that, so hopefully the mystery I came up with is worth the wait. I look forward to seeing your theories if any.**

* * *

 **Review Responses:**

 _TheRoseShadow21: As clever as it is, I'm surprised I'm the first one doing it. Thanks for supporting me by the way as you're one of the two from Timeless to actually read this story._

 _Katastic Writer: I was excited as well, to create a mystery for everyone to solve. So hopefully, I succeeded in making a decent first mystery._

 _pokemansuperallstar: I know, it would just be so terrible of me to kill Norito, because I also love him dearly, so instead I killed someone else that you'll still hate me for doing._

 _ThePLOThand: I would agree with you, but only two of Timeless's followers are also following this story, and only one of them reviewed, once._


	7. Chapter 1-5: How the Water Flows

**AN:** So, I'm going to be writing the trials in script format, because it's just a hell of a lot of talking and that can be a slog to read though in normal format, at least, with Danganronpa trials. Fortunately, I still know how to properly express emotion through script format, so it should be fine. It also allows for a bit a participation for you guys, so if you feel like trying to play the debates and such as games, you can. Just try not to scroll far enough to see the answer. Anytime someone is using a truth bullet/blade, it will be separated with a horizontal line, if that helps. I recommend copy and pasting the truth bullets somewhere else if you plan on "participating".

* * *

 **Guide on the trial format**

Any statement in **bold** is a statement that can be countered.

Any statement in _**bold italics**_ is a statement that can be agreed with.

 **Truth bullet/blade used: evidence - "statement** " = what truth bullet/blade was used, and on which statement.

* * *

 **Truth Bullets**

 **1\. Monotokage file #1**

 **Victim: Erena Takagi the Ultimate Biologist**

 **The body was discovered at 8:20 P.M. hanging from the neck on the chandelier in the ultimate dorms. Cause of death was due to asphyxiation. There is a single deep gash on the left elbow and bruising around the neck.**

 **2\. Metal rod**

 **The rope was attached to this long metal rod which is hooked on three of the arms of the chandelier facing the balcony.**

 **3\. Rope**

 **Standard industrial grade rope, tied to a metal pole. It tightly encircles the victim's throat.**

 **4\. Broken control pad**

 **The control pad that lowers the chandelier has been completely busted by a knife lodged into it. The knife itself is completely clean.**

 **5\. Heikichi's account**

 **According to him, the control pad was electronically locked before the murder, and still is despite it being broken now.**

 **6\. Hair dye**

 **A splash of hair dye, as identified by Arishige, staining the carpet of the victim's room. It is apparently part of the 'fast acting' line of dyes that he's created.**

 **7\. Bit of dirt**

 **Noritoshi managed to notice the smallest speck of dirt in the carpet of Erena's room.**

 **8\. Crumpled and bloodied note**

 **A crumpled note found in the trash of the victim's room. It was addressed to Erena telling her to open the door if she heard a certain pattern of knocks at 6:00 P.M. it also has bits of bloodstains on it. Despite the blood covering up the signature, it's clear by the wording and handwriting that it was from Jurobei.**

 **9\. Isoyo's account**

 **Isoyo had visited Erena in her room at 7:30 P.M. Sozen can verify this. She was returning a flower that Erena had left behind in the art room, placing it on the table with the potted plants.**

 **10\. Glimpses of Erena**

 **Heikichi had seen Erena entering her room at 7:20 P.M. Isoyo saw Erena enter the bathroom in her room at 7:30. Jurobei had seen Erena sitting on the couch in the hallway of the dorms at 8:00 P.M.**

 **11\. Jurobei & Leiko's arrival on the scene**

 **They were two of the three to see Erena's body hanging from the chandelier. Right before the body announcement played, Leiko noticed Isoyo standing in front of the laundry cart next to the laundry chute.** **Making them the ones to set off the body announcement.**

 **12\. Sukey's bonding plan**

 **Sukey, Omezo, Noritoshi, Kaiya, and Arishige were participating in a bonding activity in Sukey's room from 7:00 P.M. up until the body announcement. Noritoshi left at 7:35 P.M. to get something to snack on in the cafeteria.**

 **13\. Norito, Shuuyo, and Rikako's alibi**

 **While Noritoshi was getting snacks from the cafeteria , the twins had chased him into the kitchen for their amusement at 7:20 P.M. and continued to torment him until they were stopped by Sozen at 8:00 P.M. They along with Noritoshi and Sozen, did not leave until the body announcement.**

 **14\. Missing wax statue**

 **The wax replica of Erena was missing from the art room and could not be found anywhere.**

 **15\. Shards of glass**

 **Bloodied shards of glass found on the floor below the victim's body.**

 **16\. Sozen's patrol**

 **Sozen regularly patrols outside of the dorm rooms starting at 7 to 10 P.M., keeping track of everyone who leaves and enters their rooms. He never saw Erena or anyone suspicious any time after 7 P.M. Masakado had spoke with him at some point and told him about the twins chasing Noritoshi into the cafeteria, actively going against Sozen's rules. Sozen eventually went to put a stop to whatever the twins were doing and argued with them until the body announcement.**

 **17\. Chandelier**

 **The chandelier is level with the balcony, and hangs 8 feet away from it. It's also locked firmly in place by it's support beam to the ceiling.**

 **18\. Sturdy wooden sticks**

 **1 inch thick, 2 inches long, and 1 inch wide wooden sticks were found sitting on top of the table in the art room. Apparently, they were not there until after the murder. They also had saw marks on the ends of some of them and are quite study, enough to resist a good amount force without breaking.**

* * *

 **-Class Trial Begin, all rise!-**

Going from Monotokage's left, everyone's positions were, Kaiya, Arishige, Isoyo, Masakado, Rikako, Noritoshi, Shuuyo, Heikichi, Erena, Leiko, Juro, Nene, me, Leiko, Anzai, Isoyo, Sozen, and Sukey.

 **Monotokage:** [Holds a finger up] Before we get this death defining trial of fantastically violent blah blah blah going, I must explain the rules, because this is the tutorial.

 **Monotokage:** [switches to serious expression] and you cannot skip it!

 _She really treats this as a game doesn't she?_

 **Monotokage:** [left hand on hip, right forearm outstretched] In this trial you will all be discussing the crime until you come to a conclusion, and the voting will then commence.

 **Monotokage:** [casual stance] If you vote correctly, only the blackened will be punished and the rest of you get to survive.

 **Monotokage:** [arms crossed, head cocked to the side] But if you vote for the wrong person like a bunch of bozos, then everyone but the blackened will be punished!

 **Kaiya:** [accusatory glance] Who's to say that you aren't the killer.

 **Sukey:** [hands to the front, folded over each other] I would be more inclined to believe that rather than one of us being guilty.

 _I wish that were the case, but I doubt it._

 **Monotokage:** [right claw poised in a attacking position] If your goal is to get executed then go ahead and think that!

 **Monotokage:** [holds a finger up] But I cannot ever be the killer, besides, I'm not even an option to vote for!

 **Monotokage:** [Taloned finger up to chin] Although, now I'm curious to see how many would vote for me anyways…

 **Omezo:** [single arm shrug] [determined expression] Then let's do this the way it's intended to be done.

 **Rikako:** [looking meek] Can I bring up an issue?

 **Sozen:** [sympathetic look] Go on ahead.

 **Shuuyo:** [bemused expression] Me and my sis are separated by this morsel… [pointing accusingly at Noritoshi]

 **Anzai:** [monocle on, tipping invisible hat] Sorry ladies, but that's not an applicable issue I don't believe.

 **Monotokage:** [arms in the air][angry expression] If it's that much of a bother, just friggin' stand next to her because what difference does it make!?

 **Leiko:** [suspicious finger directed at the twins.] They could pass notes!

 **Leiko:** [hands up to face][cutesy look] Like love letters!

 **Nene:** [looking serious] Incest is a executable offense in my kingdom.

 **Nene:** [hand on rapier] I will not be hesitant to up-bring it.

 **Rikako & Shuuyo: **[standing next to each other looking shameful] While we may love each very much…

 **Rikako & Shuuyo: **[looking away from each other][indifferent expressions] We don't indulge in such vulgar and raunchy acts.

 **Masakado:** It's natural for humans to keep such acts a secret.

 **Shuuyo:** [eyes practically on fire] We don't fuck-

 **Shuuyo:** [calming sigh] It would be no secret if it were true.

 **Leiko** : So you _are_ using each other as a cat scratch pole!

 _That's not what she said, but we really should get off this topic._

 **Monotokage:** [tail lashed out] Get on with the trial already!

 **Monotokage:** [looking upset] It's tooooo borrrrring…

 **Heikichi** : [dismissive shrug, looking to the side] How do we plan on even starting this?

 **Jurobei:** [raised left fist] [frustrated expression] Can any of us even fucking do this?!

 **Jurobei:** [clenching teeth] I can hardly get past the fact that someone actually straight up killed a guy!

 **Nene:** [mildly annoyed expression] Girl, not guy you dolt.

 **Jurobei:** [rolls eyes, lips pursed] I know that! It was a whateveryoucallit!

 **Omezo:** [closes eyes] [small smile] figure of speech is the term you're looking for I believe.

 **Jurobei:** [right hand thumbs up] That's what it was, thanks for the save.

 **Omezo:** [scratches the back of his head] [glancing at the ground] Yeah, but it wasn't a figure of speech, just something you decided to say that wasn't gender specific.

 **Jurobei:** [clenches teeth] I'll take my thanks back, Thank you very much!

 _Why take it back only to give me another thanks?_

 **Kaiya:** [encircles chin with left hand] [looking thoughtful] Wouldn't Sozen be the most experienced with this type of thing?

 **Masakado:** [blank expression] With all your badges and certifications, I'd be cross to believe that you'd be the most capable.

 **Kaiya:** [twirls a strand of hair] I'll admit, my line of work never involved trials such as this, until now anyways.

 **Noritoshi:** [points towards Sozen] Well, A sheriff like Sozen should easily be able to clean up this metaphorical mess.

 **Sozen:** [hands in coat pockets] [sincere expression] Apologies, but the most involvement that I've had in a trial, is being a witness.

 **Jurobei:** [gestures towards Anzai] How about genius boy wonder over there, surely with how much he praises himself every fucking second, he'd be able to do this.

 **Anzai:** [pushes up glasses with a single finger] [proud grin] But of course! In fact, I've already scrutinized every detail of this murder and have found out the killer!

 _I don't know if I trust him, we only had like 30 minutes to come to a conclusion before now, and he is the type of person to paint himself in a good light._

 **Sukey:** [gawking in surprise] You have?! Then please tell us!

 **Anzai:** [adjusts his jacket] I'd rather not waste my breathe just yet, it'd be unfair to Monotokage if I just revealed it now!

 _Yep, definitely does not know the answer._

 **Monotokage:** [hands on hips, tail swished to the left] What a good boy you are!

 **Anzai:** [cleaning glasses with red cloth] So, I'll just be letting you all figure it out yourself and if it turns out you're all at a genius level of zero percent then I'll lend a hand.

 **Nene:** [left hand gripping rapier] [challenging expression] I really hope it turns out that you're the killer and I get the chance to shove my rapier down your pathetic throat that spouts all this egotistical nonsense…

 _She really needs to turn it down a notch with the violence. Otherwise, she may be spearheading the next killing game..._

 **Isoyo:** [fiddling with paintbrush] [looking down] We just need to discuss something related to the murder.

 **Isoyo:** How hard can that be.

 **Arishige:** [confident pose] [wide smirk] If the killer reveals themselves, you'll get a free fabulous makeover from none other than myself!

 _Can't he take this more seriously? I doubt anyone here would off themselves just so they can look good before getting killed._

 **Rikako & Shuuyo:** [blank expression] We're all going to die aren't we?

 **Masakado:** [closes eyes] [disappointed expression] Afraid so, these imbeciles do nothing but argue before any real discussion about the actual murder began.

 **Masakado:** [puts a knife to his neck] I might as well make myself a ritual sacrifice so that I at least die with purpose.

 **Isoyo:** [pulls hat down] Sure… just ignore me… I didn't suggest anything after all...

 **Nene:** [bits lip] I'd applaud the killer for winning so quickly if they actually had to do anything that is.

 **Nene:** [pulls at right glove] At this point it's a free pass…

 **Monotokage:** [arms raised in a excited manner] It would be a new record that's for sure!

 **Monotokage:** [grabbing tail with hands in front of herself] As it currently stands, the fastest trial had been two minutes and twenty-seven seconds long.

 **Monotokage:** And the blackened was the one that lost like an idiot!

 _I can imagine that the killer misunderstood the rules and just did the deed in front of everyone if it was that fast._

 **Heikichi:** [sweating] And we just hit a minute and ten seconds.

 **Sukey:** [looking determined) Guys, don't lose hope so quickly! Omezo should know a thing or two right? He's written trials in some of his books.

 _I was hoping that I wouldn't have to lead everyone here, but apparently I managed to have the most experience with this somehow._

 **Omezo:** [looking thoughtful] That is true, I've also done necessary research for them as well.

 **Omezo: [** rubbing chin] Even though I'm not entirely sure about this, because when I write trials, I already know the answer. So, we already know the cause of death, and I'm pretty convinced the rope is the murder weapon.

 **Omezo:** [standing tall while pointing] How the body got onto the chandelier is the question here, so let's start with that first.

- **NON-STOP DEBATE START!** -

 **Noritoshi:** [writing into soap with nail] There is only a **few ways** that the body could have gotten up there from what we know.

 **Arishige:** [pulling at jacket collar][looking smug] They could've been **up on the balcony** , and then strung up the body on the chandelier from there.

 **Masakado:** [flicking green hair] The balcony is too far away from the chandelier for that to be possible for any **human being**.

 **Jurobei:** [pointing to forehead][looking confident] How about _**throwing the body**_ , like one would throw a javelin,

 **Jurobei:** [throwing motion with one arm] They were like Haaaahhhhhhhh! Then it landed perfectly in place.

 **Sozen:** [single sweat drop on forehead][gawking] Are you serious? **No one is** **strong enough** to do that, let alone without making any noise.

 **Sukey:** [hand behind ear] And we never heard anything remotely close to a body hitting the floor or chandelier.

 **Isoyo:** [arms outward] Well, what about _**lowering the chandelier**_ _?_

 **Kaiya:** [tapping chin] Maybe, they used a _**pulley system**_...

 **Leiko** : [pointing] **Levitation!**

 **Leiko** : [pointing with other hand] **Telekinesis!**

 **Anzai** : [facepalming] [irritated] For the love of- randomly blurting out answers is not how trials work.

 **Leiko:** [aggressive] Quiet!

 _I'm sort of lost right now… nothing makes sense yet..._

 **Nene:** [raising rapier, pointing at Isoyo with other hand] [powerful] With our blades combined!

* * *

 **Truth bullet used: Broken control pad - "** _ **Lowering the chandelier**_ "

* * *

 **-BREAK!-**

 **Nene:** Lowering the chandelier would make the most sense actually, the control pad proves that much.

 **Nene:** [looking speculative] Why would anyone break it unless they were the killer trying to keep us from accessing the body?

 **Nene:** [rapier out, raised in the air] They used the control pad to lower the chandelier, then hung up Erena on it like a public hanging.

 _That does make sense, but she forgot one thing._

 **Omezo:** [pointing at Nene] That was worded improperly!

 **Noritoshi:** [fist pump] Nice catchphrase dude!

 **-COUNTERARGUMENT SHOWDOWN START!-**

 **Nene:** [grip tightens] Excuse me?

 **Omezo:** [half smile] While it does make sense, you are forgetting something important.

 **Nene:** [posing to strike with rapier] Whatever you have to say it's a weak counter.

 **Nene:** [running hand along rapier blade] It's clear that the killer…

 **Nene:** Used the control pad to lower the chandelier.

 **Nene:** [pointing with right hand] On the cover of the box where the switch is located…

 **Nene:** It says that's what it's used for.

 **Nene:** [stabbing rapier into the floor] There's no other explanation.

 **-DEVELOPMENT!-**

 **Omezo:** [hand to chest] But it's not as simple as that.

 **Omezo:** [nervous grin] The killer couldn't have accessed the switch before the murder.

 **Nene:** [looking dismissive] I don't see why not.

 **Nene:** [unsure] is there something that was keeping them away from it?

 **Nene:** [skeptical expression] It **wasn't locked** in any way **.**

 **Omezo:** I'll cut through those words!

* * *

 **Truth blade used: Heikichi's account - "wasn't locked"**

* * *

 **-BREAK!-**

 **Omezo:** [finger to the side of skull] According to Heikichi, it was electrically locked before and after the murder… Uh…

 **Omezo:** [firm] So the killer couldn't have used it.

 **Heikichi:** [touching wrist device] He's right, I had tried to access it before, but could not due to the lock.

 **Nene:** [grabbing side of neck] I thought you were going to unlock it?

 **Heikichi:** [crossing arms] [lax expression] I gave up after you left.

 **Rikako & Shuuyo: **[both pointing] You could have just hacked it later instead...

 **Heikichi:** [looking offended] Are you insinuating that I'm the killer?

 **Rikako:** [covering mouth] You would be the only one capable of activating the switch with...

 **Shuuyo:** [lightly flicking hair] Or without the electrical lock in place, other than Monotakage of course.

 **Arishige:** [presenting makeup kit] Oh, how dis-satisfactory for you Heikichi sir! Might I offer you a facial treatment as condolences?

 **Sukey:** [upset] Kaiya could also have done it...

 **Sukey:** [looking to the left] A secret agent should be capable of hacking.

 **Sukey:** [biting bottom lip] [trembling] We have no reason to put Heikichi out there all of a sudden.

 **Isoyo:** [raising hand] Guys...

 **Kaiya:** [pinching eyebrow] I will admit that I have the abilities necessary, but I was nowhere near Erena at all that night.

 **Masakado:** [commanding] Then inform us of what it was you were doing, because nowhere in the evidence list does it state that you have an alibi.

 **Isoyo:** [waving hands in the air] [straight faced] Guys.

 **Omezo:** [standing upright] You also do not possess a alibi Kado, just thought I'd bring that up.

 **Sozen:** [arms crossed, chin raised] It seems imperative that we establish what alibi's we do know of to narrow our list of suspects down.

 **Sozen:** We can return to the matters of how the body got to where it was, later.

 **Isoyo:** [looking defeated] Still ignoring me…

- **NON-STOP DEBATE START!** -

 **Omezo:** [hand on jawline] The body was discovered at 8:20 P.M.

 **Omezo:** [finger pointed up] So the murder occurred sometime close to that, but not after.

 **Sukey:** [hand on hip] I was holding a bonding session at 7:00 P.M. with Omezo, **Norito** , Kaiya, and Arishige up until the body was discovered.

 **Rikako & Shuuyo: **[biting nails] However, at some point Norito left and we **chased him** into the cafeteria **until the announcement played**.

 **Noritoshi:** [sweat dripping down face] That emotional scarring was at 7:35 P.M.

 **Noritoshi:** [gripping throat] I wanted to grab some **snacks** for myself and the others during the bonding thing.

 **Arishige:** [twirling white hair] [thoughtful] So in other words, the not so fabulous and terrificfying twins were alone together downstairs before then...

 **Arishige:** [spraying self with perfume] Seems like they could easily have **been the killers** here.

 **Rikako & Shuuyo: **[wagging fingers] [disapproving look] naughty naughty~ looks like someone did not read the evidence list…

 **Arishige:** [fanning self] [ignorant] What is this evidence list you speak of?

 **Sozen:** [adjusting badge] I **wrote down everything in a book** for everyone to look into while we were waiting for the elevator.

 **Sozen:** [raising eyebrow, tapping shoulder] You're telling me you outright ignored it?

 **Arishige:** [brushing hair] [annoyed] I had to **fix my makeup** during that time since I wasn't allowed to go back to my room.

 **Rikako:** [chilling tone] Me and my sis will have to _guide_ your eyes to it then…

 **Shuuyo** : [petrifying look] [eerie voice] You won't have to move a muscle hmhmhmhmhm~

 **Heikichi:** [face twinged in disgust] [sickened] I know what you two are trying to entail, and it's kinda disgusting.

 _They really need to crank it back a bit with the creepiness factor as it doesn't bode well for their trustability right now. Anyways, I don't think I caught anything wrong just now..._

 **Isoyo:** [biting brush] I don't think what Arishige said makes any sense.

* * *

 **Truth bullet used: Glimpses of Erena -** " **Been the killers"**

* * *

 **-BREAK!-**

 **Isoyo:** [pointing with paintbrush] I saw her alive entering the bathroom in her room, and that was at 7:30 P.M.

 **Isoyo:** I left her vase that she had forgotten in the art room and exited the room.

 **Jurobei:** [hands in pocket, glancing to the right] And I saw her at 8 o'clock sitting on a couch in the hallway, don't know why she fuckin' left her room in the first place, but she was alive, I'm certain of it!

 **Heikichi:** [pushing beanie up] I also saw her at 7:20 P.M. entering her room.

 **Arishige:** [dropping perfume] [shocked] Doh! Seems my brain deceived me.

 **Jurobei:** [clenching teeth] [pissed] All you needed to do was read the evidence list dumbass and you would have already known this.

 **Jurobei:** [smirking] Norito however was down there near the control pad, so he's the most suspicious.

 **Leiko:** [pouty face] You literally just said essentially the same thing as Arishige

 **Jurobei:** [scratching hair] Really? Must've sounded better in my head…

 **Leiko:** [cheerful expression] Minds in love do think alike!

 **Arishige:** [eyebrow raised] What was that about love?

 **Jurobei:** [hopeful] In that case, maybe if I think more like Nene, she'll fall for me!

 **Nene:** [facepalm] ***sighs***

 **Sozen:** [closing eyes] So only Omezo, Sukey, Arishige, Nene, Norito, Rikako, and Shuuyo have airtight alibis.

 **Omezo:** [grabbing shoulder] [disappointed] That still leaves nine other people, and it's still too many to make any difference.

 **Anzai:** [belly laugh] Ahahahaha! You simpletons are a riot!

 **Anzai:** [embarrassed] I cannot believe that a genius such us me got stuck down here with you lot.

 **Anzai:** [shaking head] You're all just as clueless as you were in the beginning.

 **Nene:** [eyebrows furrow] I don't see you even trying, you're in no right to accuse us of being clueless.

 **Masakado** [neutral] Remind me again why you all needed to survive.

 **Masakado:** [small frown] The world would not change without you.

 **Kaiya:** [gesturing to Isoyo] I couldn't help but notice that Isoyo has been anxious to get something off her mind.

 **Isoyo:** [putting hands together, bowing] Thank you Kaiya.

 **Kaiya:** [head cocked] Only took 30 minutes until you had this chance.

 **Isoyo:** [hand to heart] Wait… So you already knew that I had something to say when we started this.

 **Isoyo:** [throwing hands down] Then why didn't yo- nevermind, I'll just... say what I need to.

 ***Truth bullet used: Monotokage file #1***

 **Isoyo:** {putting pen to lip] If you read the Monotokage file, you'll see that it points out a gash on Erena's elbow.

 **Isoyo:** [biting pen] If she died by choking then how did that get there.

 **Omezo:** [rubbing chin] That does seem suspicious…

 **Omezo** : [determined] maybe it's time we draw our attention away from the who to um... the how.

- **NON-STOP DEBATE START!** -

 **Jurobei:** [shrugging] Couldn't she just had **cut herself before being attacked?**

 **Leiko:** [pulling at horn] No, if that were the case then it wouldn't have been so generously included in the file.

 **Monotokage:** [leaning on tail] That's **correctamundo**! Had a victim injured themselves beforehand and it's **irrelevant** , I wouldn't have bothered to mention it!

 **Sukey:** [unsure] So it must of happened _**during the murder?**_

 **Kaiya:** [raising finger] Or it could have occurred _**afterwards**_ …

 **Kaiya:** [tapping chin] [thoughtful] What if she never actually died and this is all an elaborate ruse…

 **Kaiya:** [covering mouth] *gasp* what if she's the **mastermind**! And she just wants us to betray each other!

 **Omezo:** [bewildered] Are you serious? That's quite the far-fetched theory.

 **Kaiya:** [careless shrug] [grinning] Nah, I'm not being serious at all, I just wanted to rouse things up.

 _On a serious note, I'm still not sure what to think of how the wound got there, maybe someone else has a better idea..._

 **Masakado:** [looking up, closing eyes] [quiet] Your soul speaks the truth, Sukey…

* * *

 **Truth bullet used: Shards of glass -** " _ **during the murder?"**_

* * *

 **-BREAK!-**

 **Masakado:** [pointing up with knife] If you look at the glass shards that were found on the floor under the body you can tell that there is blood on them.

 **Arishige:** [rolling eyes] And what of it?She managed to be choked to death and stabbed by some glass...

 **Arishige:** [crossing arms, smirking] I could die in a much cleaner and fantabulous fashion than her.

 _When did dying properly become a competition? I do wonder what the prize would be in a competition like that though…_

 **Masakado:** [emotionless] Then I see no room for doubt in my claim.

 **Noritoshi:** [holding broom upright] That cannot be the case!

 **-COUNTERARGUMENT SHOWDOWN START!-**

 **Masakado:** [sinister expression] So you choose to doubt me?

 **Masakado:** [turning back, looking over shoulder] Hmph! Let's see what the _hero_ has to say.

 **Noritoshi:** [pulling on hat] It may seem likely…

 **Noritoshi:** But if Erena had been injured in such a way in her room…

 **Noritoshi:** [spinning hat] There would have been more of a mess than just tiny bit of dirt.

 **-DEVELOPMENT-**

 **Masakado:** [firm] That's it?

 **Masakado:** What a worthless claim…

 **Noritoshi:** [surprised] Except it's not really

 **Noritoshi:** If you let me explain.

 **Noritoshi:** [aiming broom] You'll see why I'm the hero and you're the villain…

 **Noritoshi:** [triumphant pose] **Because hero's always win!**

 **Noritoshi:** [pointing with free hand] There was **no traces of blood** in the room!

 **Masakado:** [flipping knife in air] Villains win this time then.

* * *

 **Truth blade used: Crumpled and bloodied note - "no traces of blood"**

* * *

 **-BREAK!-**

 **Noritoshi:** [confused] They do?

 **Masakado:** [frowning] Seems you happened to miss the blood on the note, despite your attention to messes.

 **Masakado:** [explaining] Let me put it into picture. The killer noticed that Erena had gotten injured by the glass shard, and quickly took the note which was nearby and used it to keep the blood off the carpet.

 **Kaiya:** In that case, the note must have been on the table and knocked off along with the vase.

 **Noritoshi:** [thoughtful] It had to have been stuck inside her arm and fell out, smashing against the ground when she was hung then...

 **Noritoshi:** [angry] Such a safety hazard should've been cleaned up immediately!

 **Omezo:** With that figured out we now have a new question.

 **Sozen:** Where could she have gotten stabbed by some glass.

 **Anzai:** [gawking] [sarcastic] Hey, you've finally all got somewhere!

 **Anzai:** [arrogant pose] My impressed levels are only minimal though, as it was quite painfully obvious for a genius such as myself.

 **Nene:** [cold gaze] Your praise is meaningless.

 **Noritoshi:** [thoughtful] I don't remember seeing any broken glass objects anywhere during my investigation or rest assured I would've taken proper safety precautions in the area!

 _I know that there was something similar found elsewhere though, but I am not entirely sure…_

 **Rikako & Shuuyo: **[herioc] This mystery won't elude us any longer.

 ***Truth bullet used: Bit of dirt***

 **Shuuyo:** We recall seeing dirt on the floor in Erena's room.

 **Rikako:** We may not know when it got there, but we can assume...

 **Shuuyo:** [arms folded across stomach] That it wasn't there until after the murder…

 **Rikako & Shuuyo: **[looking bashful] How very unfortunate for the killer to have missed a spot where their real crime occured...

 **Arishige:** [annoyed] But why would a little blemish in her room prove that?

 **Arishige:** [flicking hair back] She collected far too many of those plants, surely some dirt from them would've ended up on the floor.

 **Isoyo:** [face twisting] He's not wrong, Erena is usually in the garden and picks many of the plants there and brings them to her room.

 **Isoyo:** [rubbing tip of paintbrush] It's possible that some dirt fell out in the process.

 **Noritoshi:** [wide eyed] [quickly] Wait a moment! I clean out the rooms daily remember? I would have never missed a single speckle of dirt in her room.

 **Sukey:** When did you last clean out her room then?

 **Noritoshi:** [hands on belt] 5:30 P.M. I believe. I know for sure I saw the room practically sparkling with cleanliness.

 **Masakado:** [neutral] That doesn't mean a whole lot, she still had plenty of time to visit the garden again before paying a visit to the abyss.

 **Kaiya:** [looking up thoughtfully] I was in the garden the whole time and I don't recall seeing Erena enter it any time after 5:30 P.M.

 **Kaiya:** Sozen can vouch for me.

 **Sozen:** [adjusting badge] She's telling the truth, I made note of her time in the garden last night.

 **Heikichi:** [accusing glance] That doesn't mean that Kaiya didn't leave once you left your post.

 **Heikichi:** She could still very well be lying.

 **Kaiya:** [astonished] I have no reason to lie.

 **Kaiya:** [firm] as I'm not the killer.

 **Kaiya:** I was there until the announcement.

 **Omezo:** [nervous] It's best that we trust her so that we can actually get somewhere in this trial, as much as it may seem like a bad idea.

 **Sukey:** [hands clasped] I agree, If we choose to never trust each other we'll never get closer to the truth of this murder!

 **Sukey:** [cheerful] We must remain melodically in tune with one another in this trial!

 **Anzai:** [pleased] How beautiful!

 **Anzai:** [adjusting glasses, smiling] The peasants unifying with each other combining their brain power!

 **Anzai:** Yet, it'll never be at the same genius level as moi!

 **Arishige:** [offended, eye twitching] You call me the p-peasant, I can practically smell your rat breath from here!

 **Anzai:** [upset and confused] R-rat breathe?!

 **Sozen:** [chin raised] Choosing to believe Kaiya, we can safely say that the dirt wasn't on the floor until the murder.

 **Nene:** [indifferent] We have to figure out what was made of glass in her room.

 **Heikichi:** [fidgeting with visor] None of the pots in her room were even made out of clear glass, how can we find out what it was that fell?

 _Well, looking through the evidence, there is a possibility that there was glass in her room. I just need a certain artist to shed some light on it._

 ***Truth bullet used: Isoyo's account***

 **Omezo:** [rubbing jaw] Isoyo, didn't you bring a flower to her room that she had forgotten?

 **Isoyo:** [looking down] I did…

 **Omezo:** [questioning stare] So what was it in?

 **Isoyo:** [pulling down hat] It was in a clear glass vase.

 **Kaiya:** [comforting smile] Was there any dirt in it?

 **Isoyo:** [biting pencil eraser] There was... this means that had to be what fell as I did not see it anywhere during the investigation…

 **Leiko:** [frustrated] ugh! Where does a revelation like this even get us?

 **Jurobei:** I agree, just because some vase fell over doesn't mean anything.

 **Leiko:** [shocked expression] Everything is all just a lie at this point!

 **Leiko:** [confident, fists on hips, nose high] Erena's probably not even dead… and she's actually the blackened!

 _If the vase fell over during the time of the murder, then it's reasonable to believe it was knocked down during a struggle with the killer and victim. The bloodied glass shards must have been only one piece of glass that had lodged itself into Erena's arm, meaning at some point they had fallen over along with the vase. When she was hung up, the glass piece fell out and broke into multiple pieces. There is a location where this was a possibility._

 **Omezo:** I don't think you've been paying attention, but this answers our very first question.

 **Omezo:** [intense] Where the murder actually took place!

 **Omezo** : [serious] Within Erena's room.

 **Anzai:** [brushing off medal] About time you got here… I'll have you know I got to this point in my own deduction in half a second!

 **Kaiya:** [impressed] With that kind of thinking you'd make for a great agent!

 **Kaiya:** I have some documents and form you can sign and I can get you a position as my partner!

 _Please don't bump up his ego any more… although it has already broken the stratosphere, and I'm pretty sure he'd never want a partner at all._

 **Masakado:** [malicious smile, face darkens] That means there was a struggle as she was desperately trying to gasp for air like any pitiful creature fighting for it's life...

 **Masakado:** [off putting laugh] How amusing that would've been!

 **Jurobei:** [sweating] [freaked out] That's right fucked of a thought my dude…

 **Sukey:** [hands clasped over chest, looking down] [saddened] T-that's just terrible to imagine…

 **Sozen:** [firm] It's the only explanation there is.

 **Sozen:** [explaining] [professional] Erena and the killer in midst of a struggle must've knocked the glass vase over and fell down along with it, causing our victim to get a shard of glass lodged in her skin near her elbow while flailing wildly.

 **Kaiya:** [relieved] This means we are finally getting to our prime suspect!

 **Jurobei:** [fist clenching] That doesn't change a single goddamn thing!

 **-COUNTERARGUMENT SHOWDOWN START!-**

 **Kaiya:** [confused] What do you mean?

 **Jurobei:** Just because the murder occurred in Erena's room…

 **Jurobei:** [clenching fist harder] Absolutely fuckin' does not change our list of suspects!

 **Jurobei:** [kicking pedestal] We are still left with nine asshole suspects as we did before!

 **-DEVELOPMENT!-**

 **Kaiya:** [understanding look] I understand why you'd think that.

 **Kaiya:** [pensive] However, if we look at it from a different angle.

 **Kaiya:** [serious] You'll see that it could change almost everything.

 **Jurobei:** [crossing arms] I don't see shit!

 **Jurobei:** [rolling head] No matter where the goddamn killing happened.

 **Jurobei:** [hand on hip, clenching teeth] The motherfuckin' killer could've **swiftly moved the body** to the damned chandelier and hung it up after using the switch to lower it!

 **Kaiya:** I spy a weak point~

* * *

 **Truth blade used: Glimpses of Erena - "swiftly moved the body"**

* * *

 **-BREAK!-**

 **Kaiya:** [pointing] That would be near impossible to do from the room with what time frame they had!

 **Kaiya:** You yourself had last seen Erena at 8:00 P.M. they only had 20 minutes to do everything we've seen so far.

 **Kaiya:** [upright] Not even me, the ultimate secret agent could accomplish such a task.

 **Jurobei:** [nervous smile] Heh, I fucked up I guess…

 **Nene:** [astonished] How could you forget vital information that you provided?

 **Nene:** [facepalm] And you all wonder why I call everyone weak...

 **Heikichi:** [tapping wrist device] That, and the control box was locked as we pointed out before, sans, hacking the controls.

 **Jurobei:** [scratching back of neck] So you and Kaiya are off the hook on that front then.

 **Rikako:** [Looking at sister] With that out of the way…

 **Shuuyo:** [returning the gaze] How do we propose the way the body got to where it was…

 **Rikako & Shuuyo: **[eery] Sadly waving slowly back and forth like a twisted pendulum from the chandelier hmhmhmhmm~

 _Did they really just steal my line? From my thoughts before?_

 **Masakado:** [eyes narrowing] I can't believe I'm about to say this, but the killer would have to had thrown the body onto it.

 **Jurobei:** [upset] I goddamn said that the first time!

 **Jurobei:** [angry] But noooooo!

 **Jurobei:** [offended] Everyone had to call me an idiot!

 **Anzai:** [thumbing glasses] At that moment in time you were an idiot.

 **Jurobei:** [happy] Now I'm a genius!

 **Anzai:** [amused] Hah! No. You're still an idiot, your intelligence levels only went up by one percent…

…

[whispering] from negative one hundred.

 **Jurobei:** [annoyed] What the hell man! Let me be proud of myself!

 **Anzai:** [putting on sunglasses] You think just because you fuckin' threw out a random guess way before it was diddly dang proven correct means you are a damn genius bro!?

 **Anzai:** Get with the picture maaaaaaannnnn!

 **Arishige:** [presenting makeup kit] Since we're so close to uncovering the criminal, I'll give them another chance for my generous offer! It's a better deal than a 5 for 1 offer of diamonds.

 **Leiko:** [waving hand] [hyped] Ooo! I am totally the killer!

 **Noritoshi:** [surprised] W-what! Really? Just like that a villain outs herself…

 **Monotokage:** [thoughtful] It is a tempting offer, I could use a make-over since my creator did not have a good taste in style.

 **Monotokage:** [cocky pose] Therefore I admit it, I choked that bitch out!

 **Jurobei:** [unsure but angry] The hell?! We were right in accusing you after all!?

 **Leiko:** [pointing to herself with thumb] No, because I'm totally the killer! Demon's may lie a lot, but not this time!

 **Arishige:** [proud] Huh… well both of you can have it, everyone deserves to look fabulous!

 **Arishige:** [questioning] What kind of makeover would you like? A full body or facial?

 **Monotokage:** [upset expression] [confused] Uh nothing… why would I want anything like that!?

 **Arishige:** [eyes watering] You admitted to being the killer for my offer and you're telling me you reject it...?

 **Monotokage:** [shaking head] When did I become the killer?! Am I missing somethin'?

 **Monotokage:** [disappointed] Humans these days…

 **Leiko:** [biting thumb] Wait, that offer meant I was the killer? Huh… I didn't even know that….

 **Nene:** [exasperated] You must have some sort of mental issue…

 **Omezo:** [sweating[ Let's get back on track please…

- **NON-STOP DEBATE START!** -

 **Isoyo:** [arms folded] I don't see how someone could **throw the body** in that manner.

 **Isoyo:** They'd have to succeed on the **first throw** , which is hard to imagine happening.

 **Kaiya:** [thoughtful] It does seem difficult for someone to do that…

 **Kaiya:** Erena didn't seem like she'd be that **light**.

 **Heikichi:** [scratching beanie] Even if they were strong enough…

 **Heikichi:** [disbelief] There's no way the rope would manage to **hook onto the chandelier, simply impossible**.

 **Sozen:** [pensive expression] [tapping shoulder] Unless, they had some sort of tool **.**

 **Sozen:** [closing eyes] There could have been _**something long enough**_ that the perpetrator used to get the body to cross the 8 ft distance…

 **Noritoshi:** [putting mop to chin] It's possible that such a item came from the **art room**.

 **Noritoshi:** [pointing with broom at Isoyo] [confident] Isoyo, the grandmaster of arts, would know if that's true!

 **Isoyo:** [flicking with brush] Well, I, the grandmaster here, can safely say that there **isn't a single thing like that**.

 **Isoyo:** [biting eraser of pencil] But, I will point out the possibility of it being _**created**_.

 _Now that's an interesting theory, I do remember there being some wooden sticks in the art room that seemed to have been messed with. While they are sturdy, they're not sturdy enough to carry a body across 8 feet, as it they would snap once the body got close the the end. This exact thing is what has been putting me through a loop, how the body got to where it is. I'm sure that once we answer this question, everything will be clear, hopefully. Unfortunately, I have no clue at the moment._

 **Sukey:** [fingers on bottom lip] [looking away] Sorry, but you were out of tune Heikichi...

* * *

 **Truth bullet used: Metal rod -** " **hook onto the chandelier, simply impossible"**

* * *

 **-BREAK!-**

 **Sukey:** [explaining] Actually, they had something that allowed them to easily get the body hooked on the chandelier.

 **Sukey:** That being the long metal rod the rope was tied too.

 **Masakado:** [inquisitive] You're saying that our killer had the strength to toss a body like that?

 **Masakado:** [looking away, arms crossed] I find it unlikely that any mortal could be capable.

 _Wasn't he the one to bring it up as the only solution in the first place? That had to have been a lie then._

 **Nene:** [perturbed] Do you have any other ideas lord of the shadows?

 **Masakado:** Afraid not, besides magical interferences of course.

 **Leiko:** [defensive] Don't look at me! Telekinesis isn't something I'm capable of.

 _If it was truly thrown up there, then we'd have to look at the strongest people of our group…_

 **Sozen:** [closing eyes, pensive] There must be something we're missing then...

 **Jurobei:** [twisting goatee][thoughtful] There's only one fucking person I can think of that has that much strength...

 **Jurobei:** [clenching teeth] Son of a bitch! That would be you! Sozen Motozawa!

* * *

 **AN2:** So, I do want to know what you guys think of the way I handled the debates, because as you saw, I let them run all the way through before having someone counter, or agree with, someone else. Is that alright with you guys? or should I just end the debate at the statement that is countered or agreed with? Personally, I like the way I did it (of course) because it allows for more content and fun banter. However, it can feel a bit disjointed. I'll have a poll on my profile for your answers.

* * *

 **Review response(s):**

 _Katastic Writer: I didn't find Norito to be a good first kill, but I wanted to make people fear for him, since I know he's a lovable character and I gave him a FTE. I'm glad that I surprised at least someone with the first death, because that's always the hardest one to get people on since you have to give enough attention to them so people actually care about them, which is normally a noticeable death flag. I hope you're not the only one to be caught off guard._


	8. Chapter 1-6: How the Water Flows

**Truth Bullets**

 **1\. Monotokage file #1**

 **Victim: Erena Takagi the Ultimate Biologist**

 **The body was discovered at 8:20 P.M. hanging from the neck on the chandelier in the ultimate dorms. Cause of death was due to asphyxiation. There is a single deep gash on the left elbow and bruising around the neck.**

 **2\. Metal rod**

 **The rope was attached to this long metal rod which is hooked on three of the arms of the chandelier facing the balcony.**

 **3\. Rope**

 **Standard industrial grade rope, tied to a metal pole. It tightly encircles the victim's throat.**

 **4\. Broken control pad**

 **The control pad that lowers the chandelier has been completely busted by a knife lodged into it. The knife itself is completely clean.**

 **5\. Heikichi's account**

 **According to him, the control pad was electronically locked before the murder, and still is despite it being broken now.**

 **6\. Hair dye**

 **A splash of hair dye, as identified by Arishige, staining the carpet of the victim's room. It is apparently part of the 'fast acting' line of dyes that he's created.**

 **7\. Bit of dirt**

 **Noritoshi managed to notice the smallest speck of dirt in the carpet of Erena's room.**

 **8\. Crumpled and bloodied note**

 **A crumpled note found in the trash of the victim's room. It was addressed to Erena telling her to open the door if she heard a certain pattern of knocks at 6:00 P.M. it also has bits of bloodstains on it. Despite the blood covering up the signature, it's clear by the wording and handwriting that it was from Jurobei.**

 **9\. Isoyo's account**

 **Isoyo had visited Erena in her room at 7:30 P.M. Sozen can verify this. She was returning a flower that Erena had left behind in the art room, placing it on the table with the potted plants.**

 **10\. Glimpses of Erena**

 **Heikichi had seen Erena entering her room at 7:20 P.M. Isoyo saw Erena enter the bathroom in her room at 7:30. Jurobei had seen Erena sitting on the couch in the hallway of the dorms at 8:00 P.M.**

 **11\. Jurobei & Leiko's arrival on the scene**

 **They were two of the three to see Erena's body hanging from the chandelier. Right before the body announcement played, Leiko noticed Isoyo standing in front of the laundry cart next to the laundry chute. Making them the ones to set off the body announcement.**

 **12\. Sukey's bonding plan**

 **Sukey, Omezo, Noritoshi, Kaiya, and Arishige were participating in a bonding activity in Sukey's room from 7:00 P.M. up until the body announcement. Noritoshi left at 7:35 P.M. to get something to snack on in the cafeteria.**

 **13\. Norito, Shuuyo, and Rikako's alibi**

 **While Noritoshi was getting snacks from the cafeteria , the twins had chased him into the kitchen for their amusement at 7:20 P.M. and continued to torment him until they were stopped by Sozen at 8:00 P.M. They along with Noritoshi and Sozen, did not leave until the body announcement.**

 **14\. Missing wax statue**

 **The wax replica of Erena was missing from the art room and could not be found anywhere.**

 **15\. Shards of glass**

 **Bloodied shards of glass found on the floor below the victim's body.**

 **16\. Sozen's patrol**

 **Sozen regularly patrols outside of the dorm rooms starting at 7 to 10 P.M., keeping track of everyone who leaves and enters their rooms. He never saw Erena or anyone suspicious any time after 7 P.M. Masakado had spoke with him at some point and told him about the twins chasing Noritoshi into the cafeteria, actively going against Sozen's rules. Sozen eventually went to put a stop to whatever the twins were doing and argued with them until the body announcement.**

 **17\. Chandelier**

 **The chandelier is level with the balcony, and hangs 8 feet away from it. It's also locked firmly in place by it's support beam to the ceiling.**

 **18\. Sturdy wooden sticks**

 **1 inch thick, 2 inches long, and 1 inch wide wooden sticks were found sitting on top of the table in the art room. Apparently, they were not there until after the murder. They also had saw marks on the ends of some of them and are quite study, enough to resist a good amount force without breaking.**

* * *

 **Sozen:** [shocked and angry] W-w-what!

 **Arishige:** [twirling white hair] You are our muscle bound participant, making you the clear choice.

 **Kaiya:** [indifferent] Logically, it makes sense that Sozen is the most capable one out of all of us for such a task.

 **Rikako & Shuuyo: **[skeptical] Isn't Juro also quite strong and athletic?

 **Jurobei:** [shrugging] I am, but mainly in the legs, plus, I have shit for aim with throwing.

 **Noritoshi:** [firm] Then it does make Sozen the most suspicious.

 **Sozen:** [firm] You're making a mistake!

 **Sozen:** [clutching badge, closing eyes] A man of law such as myself would never commit such a disgusting act of injustice.

 **Leiko:** [cheery] Don't worry, Hell can be a wonderful place! There's so many demons to meet, and I can even still visit you.

 **Jurobei:** [pointing with two hands] Well Anzai, how do you feel about that punk!

 **Anzai:** [wearing sunglasses] [hands laced behind head] Maanannnn! I think I'll be holdin' off until votin' time!

 **Anzai:** [switching to monocle] Considering that not everything has been found out my boy!

 **Masakado:** [toying glance, smirking] We're probably getting to the point very soon, why not confirm our conclusion...

 **Masakado:** [eyes narrowing] unless you were actually incorrect.

 **Anzai:** [normal glasses] Hahahahah! A true genius is always one hundred percent correct!

 **Anzai:** [assuring] Rest assured I knew exactly who it was before. My answer has not changed since.

 **Heikichi:** [out of breathe] Man… I am quite surprised that this is the outcome.

 **Heikichi:** [shaking head] 01001001010010

 **Jurobei:** [confused, scratching chin] Are you voicing your password or somethin' dude?

 **Jurobei:** [clenching fist] English is a nice language you know!

 **Heikichi:** [rolling eyes] I simply said that it was upsetting.

 **Heikichi:** [despondent] A man who's the image of every just of the law turns out to be the first killer...

 **Sozen:** [firm] I will not stand for these allegations.

 **Nene:** [pulling out rapier] Then show us your sword! Let us duel and find out who's blade is sharper.

- **NON-STOP DEBATE START!** -

 **Sozen:** [frowning] I'm **no criminal** everyone…

 **Sozen:** [crossing arms, closing eyes] You are jumping to conclusions due to your **inexperience** with this situation.

 **Sukey:** [exasperated] I don't want to believe it, but **what else can we think about right now**?

 **Sukey:** [looking down in sadness] I wish we could just all be **innocent** and move on.

 **Isoyo:** [innocent glaring] Why would you kill her...

 **Isoyo: [** clutching at heart] She did not **deserve death** just because you wanted to keep your talent…

 **Sozen:** [looking away] I **don't care** about my talent, and I'd never murder someone like Erena…

 **Sozen:** [head slumped in shame] I am just as angry as you at her death because I **could not prevent it**.

 **Jurobei:** [clenching teeth] We don't need to hear your sympathy bastard!

 **Jurobei:** [punching hand] Just accept the facts if you want to keep any of our respect for you fucker!

 **Noritoshi:** [doubtful, thinking] Maybe there's something we're missing guys, I really don't think Sozen would do this, take it from a hero like me!

 **Sozen:** [small smile] At least someone here is on my side.

 **Sozen:** [pointing with two fingers] There could be _**a way another person could have thrown the body**_ onto the chandelier!

 **Leiko:** [tilting body to the right][curious] Huh? Are you saying that it is magiiiiiic?

 **Nene:** [crossing arms][dismissive] Magic will never be the answer, however, whatever Sozen's thinking of is most likely just as unrealistic and pathetic.

 **Sozen:** *sighs* I suppose my claim needs a bit of re-wording…

 **Sozen:** [serious] What if _**Erena herself is**_ _**the biggest lie in this case**_?

 **Rikako:** That would make for an interesting turn of events…

 **Shuuyo:** However, I fear it will not change your fate Mr. sheriff hmhmhmhmm~

 _Wait a minute, I believe I just came to a stunning realization!_

 **Omezo:** No, I know what Sozen's aiming at, and I can prove it with certainty.

* * *

 **Truth bullet used: Missing wax statue - "** _ **Erena herself is**_ _**the biggest lie in this case**_ "

* * *

 **-BREAK!-**

 **Sozen:** [laugh of relief] I figured that you'd see it too.

 **Omezo:** [nodding] Mmhmm, remember that a certain art project was missing?

 **Arishige:** [passionate] Yes, that perfect replica of Erena, it was a fine example of expert craftsmanship!

 **Leiko:** [disappointed] Awww… here I thought I'd get to give Sozen a tour of Hell.

 _Well, there's one way hell can be made worse or better depending on how you look at it..._

 **Isoyo:** [twiddling with utensils] you can't seriously be thinking what I think you're...

 **Omezo:** [explaining] I mean what I say here... what we thought was missing the whole time... was the first thing we found in the investigation.

 **Omezo:** [forceful] The statue was posing as the body hanging from the chandelier!

 **Jurobei:** [startled in disbelief] ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDIN' MEEEEEEEE!

 **Rikako & Shuuyo: **[admiration] What impressive trickery by the killer.

 **Masakado:** [hands clasped in front of mouth] Hmph….

 **Sukey:** [playing with hair] That explains why we couldn't reach the body, so that we could never tell that it was a fake...

 **Heikichi:** [stunned] So the 100101! control box! was never related in the first place…

 **Heikichi:** [thoughtful] This is as unexpected as a surprise brick when I'm hacking.

 **Anzai:** [leaning forward, hands] on knees Ahahahahaaaaaa! It only took you more than hour to get there! But my patience was worth it to see your faces now!

 **Isoyo:** [hugging self, looking down] My own art was used… to fool us… I involuntarily almost assisted in our death… I'm sorry.

 **Kaiya:** [excited] This is something that secret agents usually make use of, a body double that is!

 **Kaiya:** [nervous sweating] That does not mean I did it by the way…

 **Leiko:** [impressed, excited expression] Wow! It's just like a mimic! Made to fool us with its appearance only to kill us in the end.

 **Jurobei:** [snarling] There's no way in hell it was that statue!

 **Nene:** [coldly] I agree, it is ridiculous to think that.

 **Jurobei:** [raising fists] It's as unreal as my goddamn hygiene!

 **Noritoshi:** [eyes widened] [worried] *Gasp* I better jump into action now before you die of bad hygiene Juro!

 **Noritoshi:** [aiming a shower head at Juro] Quick, close your eyes!

 _He even has a shower head, which also means he has water somewhere on his person. He is prepared for anything huh?_

 **Heikichi:** [inquisitive] I cannot help but wonder why the announcement went off if that were the case…

 **Arishige:** [looking into perfume bottle thoughtfully] Cosmetics may be able to hide the identity of a person, but I don't think the same goes for this...

 **Monotokage:** [excited jumping] Look at that! Gahahahaha!~

 **Monotokage:** You Fuckos are split! Now I can do somethin' cool for all of you!

 **Monotokage:** [air guitar playing] Time for a rocking debate scrum kiddos!

Suddenly the ground beneath us began to shake. A split began to form in the center of the circle and slowly opened up to reveal lava about 20 feet below us. Instead of falling in, we just floated there on our pedestals. Everyone was switched around to a side.

On the left side pleading the case that the body was in fact Erena's, there was Jurobei, Nene, Arishige, Isoyo, Rikako, Noritoshi, Shuuyo, and Heikichi.

On the right side pleading the case that the body is the statue there was Omezo, Sukey, Anzai, Leiko, Sozen, Kaiya, and Masakado.

 _This is quite over the top..._

 **-Debate Scrum Begin!-**

 **Jurobei:** [clenching teeth] The glass found underneath the body could have only fell out of Erena's real body, which was hanging from the freakin' chandelier!

 **Leiko:** [twirling hair with finger] The killer could've just planted the shards there after committing their crime riiight?

 **Heikichi** : [skeptical] How do you explain the fact that the body announcement played if that wasn't her real body?

 **Sozen:** [closing eyes][pensive] There's a possibility that three people had seen the body but didn't know it at the time.

 **Nene:** [hand on hip, brow furrowed]] If that wasn't Erena's body, then why did Monotokage never allow us to know about it?

 **Sukey:** [rubbing shoulder] She said that we had all the information we needed from the body as an excuse to hide the twist of this murder for her sick entertainment...

 **Rikako:** [fingers to bottom lip] The body would have to have been hidden quite well, but we searched everywhere, how could we have missed it?

 **Masakado:** [looking at pentagram pendant] We are only human… we could've easily overlooked it's location.

 **Shuuyo:** [doubtful] How could anyone have carried Erena's body around to all these locations without anyone besides the three witnesses seeing it? Plus, Sozen's the only one strong enough to lug her body around like that.

 **Anzai:** [pointing at Shuuyo] [aggressive] You fool! There are things that a body could be put into to lessen the work needed for anyone to move it around, with the added benefit of hiding the body.

 **Isoyo:** [biting brush] Regarding what Shuuyo had said, the killer also did not have enough time to hide the body so well without anyone seeing them in the process...

 **Omezo:** [hands rested at sides] Incorrect, there was a chance, when the body announcement played and everyone rushed over to find the fake body.

 **Noritoshi:** [adjusting hat, skeptical expression] I don't get how the killer would be able to kill Erena, throw a statue on the chandelier, and then hide the body all in 20 minutes, someone would have to had seen them in the act.

 **Sozen:** [crossing arms] If anyone had seen anything, they would have reported it. Even then, the killer could have easily moved around considering our locations at the time.

 **Arishige:** [annoyed] Everyone stole the good arguments! What can I even say? umm… The body was real because no piece of art is a fabulous as a human being is!

 **Kaiya:** [shrugging] The human body can easily be mimicked in terms of appearance on the outside as we saw.

 **Everyone on the right side:** [confident] What was hanging from the chandelier was none other than a replica of Erena!

 **-BREAK!-**

 **Monotokage:** [belly laugh] I bet that got all your blood pumping!

 **Jurobei:** [apologetic] Heh… turns out I was wrong in accusing you Sozen, sorry man.

 **Sozen:** [warm smile] No harm was done, what matters is that we made a groundbreaking discovery.

 **Nene:** [annoyed] So you're telling me Monotokage purposely hid crucial evidence from us.

 **Monotokage:** [sarcastic] I didn't want to ruin such a fantastic twist, that wouldn't be very entertaining, plus, it's only fair of me to not screw over our dear killer.

 _It's still a bit unfair, but I guess that plays a part in what she meant when she said that Junko was a bad host, as she played it fair. At least, in terms of making us suffer, otherwise, being fair would make you a better host..._

 **Anzai:** [wearing nerdy glasses] [pleased] I agree, it did make it a bit more fun to figure out!

 **Anzai:** [normal glasses, cocky] Though of course no matter what, it would've been a minimal challenge for a genius like me.

 **Nene:** [growling] I really wish I could get a free pass on testing your brain's durability.

 **Isoyo:** [scratching arm] But now we're right back to the same nine suspects…

 **Heikichi:** [hand underneath beanie] We managed to simultaneously make and lose progress, I hope this is how things usually go in trials, because on the outside, it seems like all we did was useless.

 **Omezo:** [neutral] Well, now we have new questions we can answer, and that should in theory lead us to the killer.

 **Leiko:** [inquisitive] Isn't this like, all a theory anyways? Even if we answer every question, we may still come to face certain death and our transcendence into the Twilight realm…

 **Noritoshi:** [gawking in surprise] How do you of all people manage to be all philosophical out of nowhere?

 **Leiko:** [shrugging cheerfully] I dunno!

 **Leiko:** [happy] It probably has something to do with my demon ancestors!

 **Leiko:** [seductive] Much like my sexy appearance and endless charms...

 **Masakado:** [hand to forehead] [fed up] Can we move on before she continues to give me a hernia.

 **Omezo:** [explaining] As I said, we have only made progress.

 **Sukey:** [neutral] Right, and we have new questions, those being where the real body is, how the body announcement played, and how the killer managed to avoid detection.

 **Kaiya:** [pointing up] Then let's begin with the body announcement, as it's the most perplexing one at the moment.

- **NON-STOP DEBATE START!** -

 **Rikako:** [tilting head to left] It takes **three** …

 **Shuuyo:** [tilting head to right] Unlucky people…

 **Rikako & Shuuyo: **[deadpan glare] To activate it after seeing a **cold lifeless body**.

 **Sukey:** [questioning] If it truly wasn't the first three to see the statue, then _**why hasn't anyone mentioned seeing her body**_ anywhere else?

 **Sukey:** [frowning] That's terrible teamwork on their part…

 **Masakado:** If they had any care for their own life, we **would've heard about it** by now.

 **Masakado:** [grinning] [serious] The killer must be pretty _**elusive**_ to have been capable of activating the announcement in such a manner.

 **Sozen:** [closing eyes] It surprises me that someone here would be this skilled at hiding their crime, though I suppose we're ultimates.

 **Noritoshi:** [offended] Getting away with murder isn't something I remember learning!

 **Nene:** [suspecting glare] You say that, but wouldn't **cleaning up a crime scene** play in part to your talent?

 **Noritoshi:** [fumbling with mop] W-well, if it involves cleaning… then yeah. Do-don't get any crazy ideas though!

 **Noritoshi:** [confident] This murder does not even involve a well scrubbed murder scene!

 **Arishige:** [arms raised] I have come to a fantasmical realization!

 **Arishige:** [proud] What if three people saw a _**living dead body**_!

 **Omezo:** [raising brow] That's a bit preposterous don't you think?

 **Omezo:** [unsure grin] It just sounds like you are saying she was undead.

 **Kaiya:** [looking to the side, arms folded] It's more likely that there was a _**body double**_ in play here.

 _I feel like the answer is at the tip of my tongue, but I just can't quite taste it yet..._

 **Heikichi:** [pressing buttons on device] You know what, Arishige is actually ninety-nine percent correct!

* * *

 **Truth bullet used: Glimpses of Erena - "** _ **living dead body**_ "

* * *

 **-BREAK!-**

 **Nene:** [doubtful] The fop actually said something worthwhile?

 **Heikichi:** [firm] Yes, yes he did.

 **Leiko:** [biting finger] But he mentioned a living dead body… if there's one thing I know, it's that a dead person can not also live…

 **Leiko:** [trailing] unless...

 **Heikichi:** [typing on wrist device] That's not what I'm going to prove, it's that three people did see the body, but it looked alive to them at the time because they only got a glimpse.

 **Heikichi:** [gesturing to self] I am one of those people.

 **Omezo:** [rubbing chin] I see what you're getting at… uh... you, Juro, and um... Isoyo saw Erena at different times after 7:00 P.M.

 **Omezo:** [slightly surprised] That would've had to been... Erena when she was dead.

 **Leiko:** [intrigued] oooooo! A real life zombie!

 **Leiko:** [upset] I wish I could've gotten her autograph…

 **Jurobei:** [startled] ZOMBIES!?

 **Nene:** [scoffing] Don't even start, anything that supernatural is impossible.

 **Kaiya:** [disappointed expression] This also pushes the time of death back before 7:20 P.M. meaning Shuuyo, Rikako, Noritoshi and possibly everyone at the bonding session no longer have viable alibis.

 **Jurobei:** [irritated] Great! We done fuckin' put this trial in reverse! We gained more suspects.

 **Sukey:** [soft glance] You need to calm down Juro…

 **Jurobei:** [raising fist] How the hell can I be calm when my life is at stake!

 **Rikako & Shuuyo: **[palms together] The announcement did not play until 8:20 P.M. and going by that logic, it must mean that one of the three who saw her lied and are the dastardly killer.

 **Nene:** [drawing in the air with rapier] And they better fess up before I personally execute them all!

 **Monotokage:** [claw outstretched] [pouty] Heeeyyyy! Don't take my job lady!

 **Jurobei:** [angrily gesturing] I have nothing to admit because I'm not the damned killer!

 **Isoyo:** [looking up reluctantly] I would never harm Erena…

 **Heikichi:** [pulling at beanie] [annoyed] I'm the one who brought this up in the first place! Don't start thinking it was me!

 **-NON-STOP DEBATE START! PANIC!-**

 **Isoyo:** [petting brush slowly] I could never kill someone like Erena…

 **Jurobei:** [furiously pointing] For fuck's sake! **Those other two are clearly more suspicious!**

 **Heikichi:** [shouting very loudly] **There's approximately a 0% chance of me being the killer!**

 **Heikichi:** [motioning with finger] I helped find out that we caught a glimpse of Erena's dead body when I thought she was alive and well.

 **Isoyo:** [eyes focused] There's **no proof** that can paint me as her murderer…

 **Jurobei:** [looking away, arms crossed] I can say **the same** **for myself**!

 **Heikichi:** [scratching underneath beanie] You have been the _**most aggressive**_ one here so far…

 **Heikichi:** [eyes narrowing] That's pretty suspicious in my book.

 **Isoyo:** [looking down] I've just been distraught over Erena's death…

 **Isoyo:** [hand to heart] I swear upon my soul that it's not just an act, I **truly cared about her**...

 **Sukey:** [hands clasped, biting upper lip] Sorry Juro, but you're wrong…

* * *

 **Truth bullet used: Crumpled and bloodied note - "the same for myself"**

* * *

 **-BREAK!-**

 **Jurobei:** [crossing arms stiffly] [upset expression] Where the hell is the proof then!

 **Sukey:** This [Shows crumpled note] is my proof. It's clear that only you would write such a note.

 **Nene:** [mocking] and you're the only one who'd come up with such a pathetic note.

 **Jurobei:** [astonished] S-seriously!?

 **Jurobei:** [twisting goatee] I didn't even think she kept it…

 **Jurobei:** [smirking, scratching head] huh, maybe I had a chance with a girl here after all.

 **Masakado:** [palms held outwards] Well, there you have it, he admitted to giving it to her.

 **Jurobei:** [pissed] But, how the shit does that mean anything!

 **Jurobei:** [covering mouth with fist] I was just tryin-

 **Sukey:** [slamming pedestal] You lolipop circus! Just listen!

 **Leiko:** [fist pump] [encouraging] Yeah! Let your inner demon tear him apart!

 **Sukey:** [explaining] It means that you visited her at 6:00 P.M.

 **Rikako & Shuuyo: **[slightly disgusted] You take being a sexual predator to another level…

 **Jurobei:** [pulling at armband] I get it you know… why you suspect me, but I never actually went to her room after writing that note.

 **Leiko:** [rolling eyes, hands on hip] Jeez, the least you could do was grant her a sweet release before she bit the dust, it could've been so nice of you.

 **Masakado:** [sneering] He could make up for the lost chance when we find the body.

[grimacing] _that's disgusting..._

 **Jurobei:** [careless shrug, shaking head] To be freaking honest! I just forgot!

 **Jurobei:** [nervous grin] Lame excuse, I know, b-but I… ugh...

 **Anzai:** [pointing while holding stomach] He forgot! What a classic defense from a simpleton such as him! Ahahahahahah~

 **Kaiya:** [thoughtful] You were the last person to see her body, and in a place that kinda makes little sense when compared to the other two's sightings of her.

 _...he did see her out in the hallway while the other two saw her in/entering her room, and he saw her last… but that must have been done intentionally by the killer to frame him even further._

 **Jurobei:** [begging] Just give me a chance! Please!

 **Sozen:** [serious] You do have a chance, so start talking or face the same fate all murderers are subjected to.

 **-NON-STOP DEBATE START!-**

 **Jurobei:** [kicking pedestal] I-I'm telling y-you I'm not the goddamn fucking killer!

 **Jurobei:** [clenching teeth] What good does some stupid note prove?!

 **Arishige:** [smirking with eyes closed] That you were **fashionably on time** to murder our wonderful biologist.

 **Nene:** [hand resting on rapier] The note is very **incriminating** , it both shows that you wanted to enter her room and gave her a reason to let someone in.

 **Jurobei:** [clutching head, panicking] S-shit, shit, s-s-shit!

 _He's breaking down at this point, and I don't think he'll be able to recover from all this pressure._

 **Masakado:** [manic smile] It's so glorious to see this kind of despair, very amusing! Keep begging…

 **Rikako & Shuuyo: **[playful smile] You sound more creepy than we do with words like that. Hmhmhmhmhm~

 **Leiko:** [cheerful] Juro was also my best bud when we discovered the statue, and _**Isoyo was there too!**_

 **Leiko:** I remember you running into me to tell me of it!

 **Jurobei:** [tears forming, looking distraught] W-wait, just…

 _I have to do something..._

 **Sukey:** [comforting] We don't want to accuse you if you are innocent, so if you have something to say, please say it for our sake.

 **Sozen:** [firm] The **announcement** , the note, and you being one of the three is damning evidence against you.

 **Jurobei:** [shaking, shifty eyes] I-I'm all alone aren't I...

 **Nene:** [running hand along rapier blade] I hope I get to punish you, I've had enough of you and your idiotic obsession with me.

 **Jurobei:** [tongue rolling out] Oh, you can punish me as hard as you fucking want babe!

 **Jurobei:** [panting] I'll allow you to penetrate me with your rapier all you want!

 **Nene:** [dumbfounded, eye twitching] Uh..eugh…

 _Not sure why that devolved into whatever that strange line of statements was, but I think I caught something wrong with what Sozen said..._

 **Omezo:** That was the wrong choice of words Sozen!

* * *

 **Truth bullet used: Jurobei & Leiko's arrival on the scene - "announcement"**

* * *

 **-BREAK!-**

 **Sozen:** [leaning on one foot, brow raised] What is it this time?

 **Omezo:** [rubbing chin] The announcement isn't damning evidence just to him, it played at 8:20 P.M. when Leiko saw the statue along with Isoyo and Juro.

 **Omezo:** [half smile] Therefore, Juro and Isoyo both saw the body and the statue, so it could be either of them.

 **Sukey:** Anyone else could have been hiding on the scene too.

 **Sozen:** [closing eyes, head turned] Right… my mistake.

 **Heikichi:** [bemused expression] So what?

 **Heikichi:** [unconvinced] The note still proves that he wanted to be with her in her room alone, and gave her a reason to open the door for someone.

 **Omezo:** And I acknowledge that fact, but... how do you propose that he moved the body somewhere else to be seen at that time and managed to um... hide it afterwards when he was on the balcony with... Leiko and Isoyo?

 **Isoyo:** [pulling down hat] Then this means Juro... isn't proven to be the killer just yet...

 **Jurobei:** [flashing thumbs up] Thanks for getting me out of that scuffle my dude!

 **Masakado:** [neutral expression] But if someone saw the body or what they thought was a living Erena, they would have told us rather than leaving us in the darkness.

 **Arishige:** [rolling eyes] Couldn't the killer have been the third to see her?

 **Monotokage:** [wagging finger] Nope nope nope!

 **Monotokage:** [shaking head] Killers don't count towards the announcement.

 **Rikako** : [fingers on lower lip] Then maybe they are working in tandem with the killer…

 **Shuuyo:** [leaning forwards] Easily allowing them to keep this announcement a mystery.

 **Monotokage:** [dismissive wave] Accomplices get jackshit all but death like everyone else if they assist the blackened.

 **Nene:** [brushing hair with hand] For someone who wants us to suffer, you can prove to be helpful.

 **Monotokage** : [clutching stomach] Don't worry, that the last and only time I'd lend a claw, rest assured, your suffering will continue! Gahahahaha!~

 **Kaiya:** If that's the case, then I doubt that there was an accomplice, unless their loyalty holds no bounds.

 **Jurobei:** [tired] R.I.P teamwork…

 **Leiko:** What if they are just deathly in love with our murderer…

 **Leiko:** [eyes sparkling, hands pressed together] That would be sooo cuuuutte!

 **Leiko:** [admiring] What a lovely thought you came up with!

 _Did she just have a conversation with herself? Or are my ears fooling me?_

 **Omezo:** [sweat drop] While I do admit that it'd make for a unique romance novel, it's unrealistic in this case.

 **Sukey:** [eyes wide] Then someone truly did see Erena's body without knowing that she was dead, but chose not say anything…?

 **Sozen:** The announcement would have alerted them to that fact, so in order for it to work that way the body would have to not be recognizable as Erena.

 **Sozen:** Meaning the blackened commited murder, and their victim committed unintentional identity theft.

 **Leiko:** [excited] All these illusions are mind bending! I knew that someone here has demonic powers!

 **Heikichi:** [skeptical] I understand the motion of the ocean, but is there any proof for that?

 **Heikichi:** [eyes shut] Proof is as vital as digital codes in hacking.

 **Heikichi:** Failure would be imminent without it.

 **Sozen:** [unsure] I think Arishige can tell you all about it… I hope...

 **Arishige:** [waving arm in air] I dooooo knooww!~

 **Arishige:** I found some chemical liquid stains in Erena's room, to which I identified as hair dye, my own product no less.

 **Arishige:** [thoughtful] I never considered that my splendifirific product was useful in that sense...

 _Useful in looking fashionable and murdering, watch that be his next slogan._

 **Heikichi:** Breach detected!

 **-COUNTERARGUMENT SHOWDOWN START!-**

 **Arishige:** [shocked] H-hey!

 **Arishige:** [offended] I made such a wondrous discovery and you wish to dirty it?

 **Heikichi:** It's not without reason.

 **Heikichi:** It's highly improbable that the killer could've used that hair dye in such a manner.

 **Heikichi:** Consider this…

 **Heikichi:** Everyone who saw Erena's body, saw it as herself not anyone else here…

 **Heikichi;** [finger to visor, smirking] They wouldn't have had enough time for the hair dye to come into full effect!

 **-DEVELOPMENT!-**

 **Arishige:** [aiming green cologne at Heikichi] How dare you!

 **Arishige:** [adjusting jacket] Clearly, someone doesn't know the amazitude capabilities of my products!

 **Heikichi:** [messing with wrist device] The last person to see Erena was Juro at 8:00 P.M.

 **Heikichi:** The body and the statue were discovered at 8:20 P.M.

 **Heikichi:** [creating an X with fingers] On average, **chemical based hair dye takes 30 minutes** or more to come into effect fully.

 **Arishige:** Time was an issue solved long ago by mwah!

* * *

 **Truth blade used: Hair dye - "chemical based hair dye takes 30 minutes "**

* * *

 **-BREAK-**

 **Arishige:** The hair dye that was used here is one of the ones included in my "fast acting fashion' product line.

 **Arishige:** [adding on mascara] I have some in my room if you need me to prove it, actually, after this is over, we should test some out on you, because looking fabulous can cure the disease of failure.

 **Heikichi:** [shoulder shrug] Whatever, I bummed it up with my lack of cosmetical knowledge, but you did not need to throw in that statement at the end there…

 **Anzai:** [shocked, smirking] What do ya know? I had considered you and your pitiful talent that requires zero intelligence to have, to be as useless as a speck of dust on my awards shelf in this killing game…

 **Anzai:** [tapping chin with thumb] Yet, you were the only one who could identify the stain as hair dye, which was a crucial piece of evidence.

 **Arishige:** [aiming green cologne bottle] One more comment like that and you'll be in need of a tomato bath!

 _That must be cologne with the scent of skunk spray._

 **Isoyo:** [fiddling with utensils] Could you possibly... identify the color.

 **Arishige:** [frowning] Afraid not, With the way it was stained into the carpet, I could not collect any to even get a glimpse of the color of choice.

 **Isoyo:** [biting paintbrush] Then how did you know what it was in the first place.

 **Arishige:** [proud] Smell of course! I've come to indicate the smell of cosmetics with ease, and believe it or not, hair dye smells the same no matter what color it is.

 **Leiko:** [disbelief] You mean to tell me that blue hair dye doesn't smell like blueberries?!

 **Leiko:** [in despair] What is this world coming toooooo!

 **Leiko:** [upset] What a sin the people of the cosmetics industries have committed…

 **Arishige:** Well, I can issue the development of blueberry scented blue hair dye.

 **Leiko:** [sigh of relief] Oh thank satan! I will pre-order it now!

 **Arishige:** [smiling happily] After we get out of this, so keep your patience in check beautiful!

 **Masakado:** You say you cannot identify the color, but you also mentioned that you have hair dye in your room…

 **Masakado:** [pulling out knife] heh…I think we have our killer…

Kado made his way over to Arishige and seized him, pressing the knife against his throat.

 **Masakado:** [sinister smile] let's see if you look as fashionable on the inside as you do on the outside.

 **Arishige:** [pulling at Kado's arms] Wah! G-get your grubby hands of-

 **Jurobei:** [panicking] Woah woah woah woah woah!

 **Anzai:** [wearing monocle, wiping sweat with napkin] Sir, you must simmer down a bit, don't you know that h-

 **Masakado:** [returning to pedestal, neutral expression] That was a jest, don't get you panties in a twist.

 _I never thought I'd hear him say "panties" and now that I have, it felt strange with the way he said it._

 **Nene:** [amused] Ha!

 **Masakado:** [smiling] One laugh, therefore, it means that it was joke.

 **Sukey:** [shaking head] It was not a good one, no one should consider violent threats as a mere joke.

 **Omezo:** [slightly amused grin] I think we've drawn on long enough.

 **Kaiya:** [shrugging with a smile] The shenanigans were pretty funny though…

 **Omezo:** But, we have a culprit to out now that we are all in agreement here.

 **Omezo:** [brow furrowing] We just need to figure out where the body was put and how.

 **-NON-STOP DEBATE START!-**

 **Jurobei:** Maybe, the asshole didn't move the body at all.

 **Jurobei:** [puching hand] They could have just fuckin' **hid it in Erena's own damn room**.

 **Leiko:** [jumping up and down] I know! I know!

 **Leiko:** [thoughtful] The killer clearly possesses magical power…

 **Leiko:** [clapping hands] So they probably just casted an _**invisibility spell**_ on Erena!

 **Isoyo:** [covering mouth] That's… outrageous...

 **Kaiya:** What if they once again made the **body look like something else** to hide it in plain sight.

 **Kaiya:** There are many gadgets that can do that.

 **Masakado:** [sinister] What if they **dragged the body around** like a cat would with its dead kitten in the middle of a road.

 **Masakado:** Then hid it in their own room.

 **Sukey:** It's entirely possible that the killer _**kept the body in their room**_ , where they could make sure no one enters it.

 **Arishige:** [repulsed] That's just a grand way of creating a terrible smelling room…

 **Arishige:** [appalled] Therefore, they must be planning to get a **hold of my air fresheners**!

 **Arishige:** [aiming skunk spray cologne] [outraged] I will not allow stealing under any circumstances! If you try you will face eternal suffrage of the highest of putridness!

 _Now that I think about it, that threat holds a lot of water considering that there isn't any viable way of getting rid of the stench..._

 **Noritoshi:** [holding rag, smirking] I'm going to have to scrub that statement clean Kado!

* * *

 **Truth bullet used: Monotokage file #1 - "dragged the body around"**

* * *

- **BREAK!-**

 **Noritoshi:** [thinking] If the killer was carrying or dragging the body around, then we would've noticed evidence of it.

 **Noritoshi:** Since the victim was bleeding, there surely would have been at least a speck of blood somewhere.

 **Noritoshi:** [raising mop] I saw none and my eyes and nose catch all the nefarious stains and messes no matter how microscopic!

 **Masakado** : [disappointed] I guess it's not as morbid as I thought...

 **Masakado:** [shoulder shrug] Oh well…

 **Heikichi:** But, they did move her into the hallway at some point, that much has been revealed since Juro saw her on the couch across the hallway.

 **Jurobei:** [brows furrowing] I'm starting to agree with Leiko's invisibility theory now…

 **Leiko:** I don't agree with Leiko anymore, now I believe that the killer used dimensional travel to move around!

 **Anzai:** [chuckle] You two continuously impress me with your idiocy.

 **Anzai:** [bored] Any more and I'll be able to compare your brains to that of a pebble.

 **Jurobei:** [clenching fist] Don't rope me in with her asshole!

 **Jurobei:** [crossing arms] [in denial] I was just joking you know?!

 **Heikichi:** [puzzled, shaking head] What a cliché excuse.

 **Rikako & Shuuyo: **It was quite pitiful…

 **Leiko:** [encouraging] You should always accept who you are Juro! So stop fighting back!

 **Jurobei:** [defeated] Why do I even try…

 **Nene:** [facepalming] Why do I even bother living when I have to deal with you people…

 **Omezo:** [sweat drop] A-anyways, we still have more to figure out.

 **Omezo:** What did the killer do to move the body around without leaving any evidence?

 **-NON-STOP DEBATE START!-**

 **Leiko:** [tilting head] I'm telling yooouuu! The answer is _**dimensional travellllll!**_

 **Masakado:** [slicing with knife] [menacing] They could've **cut her into bits and flushed them**.

 **Nene:** [cold glare] Don't be ridiculous, there would be **too much blood**.

 **Nene:** The answer is quite simple really.

 **Nene:** [running hand along bandage mask] They could have used a certain _**object with wheels**_ to move the body easily.

 **Sukey:** [biting thumbnail] Was there perhaps…

 **Sukey:** [inquisitive] An incinerator around for them to use?

 **Jurobei:** [suspicious glance at Norito] Yeah Norito! I bet you've been using one of those.

 **Noritoshi:** [looking up, thoughtful] There is none as far as I know.

 **Noritoshi:** The only cleaning I do is sweeping, scrubbing, dusting, throwing away, and _**gathering dirty clothes**_.

 _Huh… I cannot really connect any said with the evidence this time. Did I miss something in my investigation...?_

 **Sukey:** I can harmonize with Norito and Nene!

* * *

 **Truth statement used: "** _ **object with wheels"**_ **\- "** _ **gathering dirty clothes**_ "

* * *

 **-BREAK-**

 **Noritoshi:** [look of understanding] The laundry cart?

 **Sukey:** [nodding] The laundry cart, yes.

 **Sukey:** Not only does it have room for a body, but it also hides what's within.

 **Nene:** And that would allow them to hide and move the body without worry of Sozen seeing it.

 **Sozen:** [closing eyes, looking down] Before anyone asks, I did not see anyone pushing along the laundry cart.

 **Arishige:** [observing nails, grinning] That must be what they used to transport everything else as well without the risk of looking too shadicious.

 **Omezo:** Then it's settled, now the final clue to this puzzle can be solved and we'll have our killer… maybe.

 **Kaiya:** Where the villain hid the body...

 **Noritoshi:** [messing with soap] There's just one thing that plagues me,.

 **Noritoshi:** [biting lip] There should have been blood in the cart right?

 **Noritoshi:** I checked it before and the body was not there nor any blood.

 **Arishige:** Clothes may have been put in before the body so that they could soak it up.

 **Rikako & Shuuyo: **Or they wrapped some around the wound.

 **Masakado:** And we know that the killer had the knowledge of Erena's gash, so it's likely.

 **Isoyo:** [throwing down paintbrush] Why can't the killer just let the dead rest in peace...

 **Isoyo:** [looking down] Using her body like a tool for their terrible crime…

 **Isoyo:** She never deserved this, so was so nice and care free...

 **Isoyo:** [clutching at heart] Why… I just want this to be over with so she can rest peacefully.

 **Rikako:** [warm smile] Do not fret little one…

 **Shuuyo:** We are one final step away from ousting the nefarious murderer…

 **Rikako & Shuuyo: **[sinister] And they will be forced down the path into Oblivion where they will be tormented eternally by their regrets until they go insane.

 **Jurobei:** [crossing arms] Jeez, why do you guys make the afterlife sound way worse than I imagined it to be…

 **Sozen:** Then let's get down to business for the sake of our fallen… friend.

 **Sukey:** I just want to say…

 **Sukey:** [happy] It really pleases me to see us all working together, it reminds me of my band.

 **Omezo:** [resting chin on hand] [thoughtful] We only need to establish where the body was put, any ideas guys?

...

...

 **Noritoshi:** [throwing mop in air] THE LAUNDRY CHUTE!

 **Noritoshi:** [mop coming back down on top of his head] Oof!

 **Jurobei:** [covering one ear, teeth clenched] Not so loud dude!

 **Leiko:** [accusatory pointing] Says the man banshee!

 **Anzai:** [pained expression] Just stop, I honestly cannot take this anymore, end it please Norito my good sir.

 **Noritoshi:** We could not access the laundry room, but we were able to use the laundry chute, I know because I have been responsible for dirty clothes.

 **Nene:** [clueless] That still is quite pointless, why give us access to the chute but not the room to even wash our own clothes?

 **Monotokage:** You'll get to after this trial if you survive, think of it as a reward for your efforts and the killer's as well, so be sure to thank them afterwards.

 **Kaiya:** [deadpan] I don't think any of us have plans to appreciate a murderer.

 **Omezo:** Speaking of…

 **Omezo:** I think we finally have our killer, it can only be this one person…

 **Omezo:** [hugging arms, eyes shut tight] but it pains me to believe that it's really them…

 **Everyone:** Then who is it!

 _It really is coming down to this, the killer is clear now, but… why did it have to be her…?_

My eyes flitted around the room, to everyone's faces, until my eyes landed on a certain someone's emotionless face, but I knew that deep down, she was fearful.

 **Omezo:** [despondent] Isoyo… Isoyo is the culprit...

 **Jurobei:** [hand to head] [screaming] THE FUCKSHIT!?

 **Leiko:** [arms slumped] [disappointed] Aww maaan! There goes my yuri ship…

 **Masakado:** [looking away] Hmph, how despicable… you two were the only people that seemed to get along real well, and you ended up strangling her.

 **Masakado:** [smirking] How morbid, yet intriguing.

 **Isoyo:** [shaking] I-I, wh-what about the… the… explanation for it...

 **Isoyo:** [innocent stare] Omezo please, do you truly believe I'd do something so… horrible to anyone... Let alone Erena…

 **Omezo:** [pained] I did not want to when I realized it, but I have sound reasoning for it.

 ***Truth bullet used:** Jurobei & Leiko's arrival on the scene *****

 **Omezo:** [gulping] Juro and Leiko were the first on the scene, and you were there as well.

 **Omezo:** Leiko told me that you were standing in front of the laundry cart and almost immediately the announcement played.

 **Leiko:** [peppy] Yup yup, it's correct, though I only looked at her for a sec before turning my head to the statue.

 **Kaiya:** [quietly] Except you were looking at what passes as a body double…

 **Omezo:** Exactly, Isoyo, you had her body set up so that whoever came to the scene would see Erena's body under the guise of yourself, allowing the announcement to play, while you hid in the cart.

 **Omezo:** And under the confusion, surprise, and chaos of a "body" being found, you had the chance to jump out of the cart and throw the body down the chute, along with the clothing used to soak up her blood.

 **Omezo:** [frowning] A risky, but successful way of creating a fake body discovery.

 **Isoyo:** [clutching at heart] B-but how d-did I change her clothing to look like mine…

 **Arishige:** [fanning self] It's quite simple, as we have outstandingly matching outfits in our closets.

 **Kaiya:** *sighs* Isoyo, just give it up…

 **Kaiya:** [half-hearted smile] None of us want to fight you.

 **Sukey:** [frowning] She's right as far as I know, it's better not to struggle and pin yourself in a corner of despair.

 **Isoyo:** [looking left and then right] I… we've all missed an important fact we should discuss.

 _Where is she going with this?_

 **-NON-STOP DEBATE START!-**

 **Isoyo:** [pulling down hat] None of you have explained how Erena was able to stand up if she was dead.

 **Isoyo:** [biting brush] As far as I'm concerned, there is **nothing that could be used to keep her upright**...

 **Masakado:** Bodies do **tend to limp** without a functioning brain.

 **Jurobei:** [flabbergasted] How the hell did we miss that!?

 **Nene:** [brow furrowing] That is quite the oversight.

 **Sukey:** [relieved] Then… _**Isoyo is innocent**_ then…

 **Isoyo:** [looking down] Not exactly, but...

 **Isoyo:** We cannot come to a conclusion just yet with a large oversight like that.

 **Jurobei:** [running hands through hair] Well shit, she just knocked some sense into us.

 **Sozen:** [doubtful expression] Hmm…

 **Rikako & Shuuyo: **[despondent] This is most unfortunate, everything we worked for just crumbled all to one measly fact we overlooked...

 _Isoyo said something about there being nothing that could keep Erena upright. After all that we've learned, a certain piece of evidence has been explained now._

 **Omezo:** No, there is way for this to have worked.

* * *

 **Truth bullet used: Sturdy wooden sticks - "nothing that could be used to keep her upright"**

* * *

 **-BREAK!-**

 **Rikako & Shuuyo: **[displeased] Are you that determined to send her to the grave?

 **Omezo:** [shaking head, eyes softening] I don't want to do that.

 **Isoyo:** Just tell us how…

 **Omezo:** Those sturdy sticks in the art room could be used.

 **Masakado:** They were out after the murder, so it would seem that they had been used for the murder.

 **Jurobei:** [growling] Shitting sticks!

 **Jurobei:** [dismissive wave] They are not long enough for that!

 **Omezo:** [firm] Unless you build struts out of them.

 **Kaiya:** [dawning realization] That's right, if put together the right way, it would be like the human body's bones!

 **Nene:** [turning away] Nonsense, the people that saw her would have seen such an irregular thing connected to her body.

 **Noritoshi:** They could have been painted to match her skin.

 **Sozen:** And no one looked at her close enough to tell.

 **Sukey:** [eyes watering] It truly was Isoyo then…

 **Isoyo:** [eyes adverting] n-no, no… I would never harm Erena.

 **Masakado:** [stabbing knife into pedestal] Seems I must step up now…

 **-COUNTERARGUMENT SHOWDOWN START!-**

 **Omezo:** [baffled] K-Kado?

 **Omezo:** [eyes narrowing] Do you um… really have something to say in her defense...?

 **Masakado:** [closing eyes] tsk tsk tsk…

He then opened only one eye; however, it was different now. He now had a jade, seemingly glowing, eye, slitted pupils like a lizard, and a pitch black sclera.

 **Masakado:** [creepy] Kyahahahaa~ Silly author, you have stepped into a web of lies.

 **Omezo:** W-what?

 **Masakado:** [frightening expression] I regret to inform you that I _did_ see the body myself.

 **Masakado:** [manic] **At 7:40 P.M.** sharp as a knife! In the hallway.

 **Masakado:** [finger to temple] After Heikichi and Isoyo...

 **-DEVELOPMENT!-**

 **Omezo:** [skeptical] This has to be another lie you're prattling on about.

 **Masakado:** [wild expression] Isoyo was the **first** to see the body!

 **Masakado:** I was the **second**!

 **Masakado:** And Leiko the **third**!

 **Masakado:** [amused laugh] Juro was probably far off into candy land after a hard night.

 **Masakado:** [rolling eyes] So he thought he saw Erena!

 **Masakado:** [swiping to the side with hand] But in reality, it was **Heikichi crossdressing**!

 **Masakado:** [arrogant] In fact, I will admit that I am the killer, the sly devil that I am!

 **Masakado:** [sneering menacingly] I **took Isoyo's identity** after knocking the poor girl out, giving her short term memory loss.

 **Masakado:** The Isoyo you saw at the scene after the body was discovered…

 **Masakado:** [hand outstretched with fingers curled] Was none other than I!

 **Omezo:** [dumbfounded] A-are you serious?

 **Omezo:** [unsure, sweating] This is all complete nonsense…

 **Masakado:** [frowning] [doubtful] Then what so called _lie_ can you disprove?

 **Masakado:** [smirking] **Heikichi crossdressing?**

 **Masakado:** [thin smile] **7:40 P.M.?**

 **Omezo:** That's it right there!

* * *

 **Truth blade used: Sozen's patrol - "7:40 P.M."**

* * *

 **-BREAK!-**

 **Omezo:** [firmly shaking head] You could not have seen Erena at that time if you were talking to Sozen.

 **Sozen:** [tapping foot] He's correct, you spoke with me at 7:35 P.M. for 6 whole minutes.

 **Sozen:** Not once did you turn away from me to look down the hallway in order to see here where you are claiming.

 **Masakado:** [eyes normal, neutral expression] Just a mere oversight on my part, my deepest apologies.

 _I think we just witnessed a side of Kado, one that is a lot more manic and unpredictable. He might truly be some kind of enigmatic madman._

 **Heikichi:** [frowning] That was a whole load of crap you spewed out.

 **Masakado:** [eyes narrowing] But, can you disprove everything else I stated?

 **Masakado:** [spinning dagger between fingers] Whether I saw the body or not, the announcement would have still have played at the time that it did.

 **Masakado:** And I admitted to being the killer in disguise.

 _I cannot deny that Kado could very well be the killer, as I have no way of proving if the real Isoyo was there at the scene when everyone found the 'body.' However, wouldn't he had let the trial go where it was heading since he was going to succeed in fooling all of us? It just doesn't make sense logically._

 **Jurobei:** [scratching head] Well, if the rest of what you said ain't complete shit…

 **Jurobei:** [looking away] Had I mistaken Heikichi as Erena, that means I found a guy fuckin' attractive…

 **Jurobei:** [rubbing back of neck] [baffled] Shit, never knew a man could be so pretty.

 **Leiko:** [pleased squeal] He said it! Yaoi ship incoming!

 **Heikichi:** [firm] Not in a million years.

 **Leiko:** [arms slumped] [saddened] And it crashed already… aww man.

 **Heikichi:** [rolling eyes, crossing arms] Even if I liked to crossdress, I could never look like Erena anyways.

 **Arishige:** I concur, you are not the type of guy who'd be capable of matching any girl's beauty!

 **Heikichi:** [scratching underneath beanie] [unsure] I don't know if I should take that as a compliment or an insult…

 **Anzai:** [disgusted] God, all of you are just a bunch of toddlers…

 **Anzai:** [annoyed] We still have to end this trial, _remember_?

 **Kaiya:** [smug] Don't worry, I know how to easily stomp Kado's argument.

 **Kaiya:** [skeptical tone] Unless he used a shrink ray, he's certainly not short enough to get away with posing as Isoyo.

 **Leiko:** [confident] Exactly, I know a midget when I see em'.

 **Omezo:** There's that, and the fact that I doubt he would've given up at this point where he was about to get away with it.

 **Masakado:** [somber] Keh, I kept my promise…

 _Promise… what is he speaking of I wonder? Did he promise to protect Isoyo...? Nah, it was most likely just a bunch of nonsensical lies, that almost made me question the plausibility of this whole case._

 **Anzai:** I sincerely hope that was on purpose, otherwise, I'd have to question your everything.

 **Nene:** Regardless of all that ridiculousness, Isoyo remains the guilty party.

 **Isoyo:** Wait, I… I'm not going to stop just yet… I can't...

 _Looks like it won't be that easy. Figures..._

 **-PANIC TALK ACTION START!-**

 **Isoyo:** [looking down] Erena was such a great friend to me.

 **Isoyo:** Why would I do this to her...

 **Isoyo:** [face in palms] P-please listen to me…

 **Isoyo:** The motive means nothing to me.

 **Isoyo:** [looking away] I-I don't care about my talent.

 **Isoyo:** I have a heart...

 **Isoyo:** [hugging self] Y-you are all completely wrong…

 **Isoyo:** [biting brush] Should I be threatening right now…

 **Isoyo:** Um… fuck you I can seal off your air with hot glue…

 **Isoyo:** [pulling down hat] Nevermind that, but, you are mistaken still.

 **Isoyo:** As no one here knows her better than me.

 **Isoyo:** [clutching at heart] **She was actually very fearful once the killing game began, and that paranoia only worsened, why would she ever open the door to anyone, even me.**

 **Sukey:** [hurt] Because, Isoyo, you are the only one she trusted...

 **-BREAK!-**

 **Sukey:** [despondent] It was clear to all of us that you two cared for each other, so of course she'd allow you to enter her room.

 **Anzai:** [rolling eyes] She misplaced it though, if only she weren't so stupidly naive.

 **Isoyo:** [deadpan] She's not stupid.

 **Heikichi:** [questioning] But are you smart enough to accept your guilt?

 **Isoyo:** [tense] ...

 **Isoyo:** T-theres…

 **Isoyo:** [relaxed] Nothing… I have nothing…

 **Omezo:** Now that we're finally at the end, and the blackened has admitted it, it's high time we go over the case.

 **\- CLIMAX INFERENCE BEGIN!-**

 **-Act I-**

 **Omezo:** [explaining] The killer, most likely pressured by the motive set out by our robotic lizard host, had devised a plan for murder.

 **Omezo:** They started off by grabbing the statue that they had made to replicate Erena perfectly, and creating a bone-like structure with some sturdy wooden sticks

 **Omezo:** Next, they managed to get a hold of some industrial grade rope, a knife, and a long metal rod. Using the laundry cart, they were able to safely transport the tools without risking looking suspicious.

 **Omezo:** Then, they approached Erena's room and gave it a knock. At the time, Erena was very fearful, however, that fear did not override her trust in her dearest friend, unfortunately, they were also their eventual killer.

 **-Act II-**

 **Omezo:** The killer caught her off guard and threw the rope around her neck, and continued to choke them, but then during the struggle, she and the killer fell over, knocking down the glass vase, which contained a flower and dirt, onto the floor along with a note from Juro that had been left sitting there.

 **Omezo:** Furthermore, Erena managed to get a shard of glass lodged into her arm. Thinking quickly, the killer promptly used the note to keep the blood from dripping on the floor as the last bit of Erena's life vanished.

 **Omezo:** After committing the deed, the killer removed the glass shard and wrapped some clothing around the gash to keep the blood from getting anywhere in the cart that would be used to transport the body.

 **Omezo:** Before carrying out the rest of their plan, they cleaned up the mess to the best of their abilities; presumably, by tossing the shards in the cart as well, and crumpling up the note and throwing it away to create a red herring that would implicate Juro.

 **Omezo:** However, they left behind a bit of dirt, letting us know the true crime location.

 **-Act III-**

 **Omezo:** Next, they tied the rope around the statue's neck, and the other end to the metal rod, placing it back into the cart with the body.

 **Omezo:** They also attached the struts they made to the body so that it would not limp.

 **Omezo:** Continuing on, the killer carried on their next course of action, one that would both make us think that Erena was alive after 7:20 PM and have the body announcement play when the statue was discovered.

 **Omezo:** They moved the body around to make sure two other people saw the body.

 **Omezo:** Heikichi saw it first, then Juro. Afterwards, the culprit waited until Sozen left his post to check on the twins and Norito.

 **-Act IV-**

 **Omezo:** Once that time came they moved the cart along to the balcony.

 **Omezo:** Thanks to the statue being quite light, they were able to toss the body onto the chandelier, with the metal rod hooking onto the arms to keep it in the air.

 **Omezo:** Making use of a unexpected occurrence, they smashed the glass shard that had stabbed Erena against the floor underneath the fake body, further hiding the fact that it was the statue even when we discovered where the murder really happened.

 **Omezo:** Of course, they also plunged the knife into the control box for the chandelier so that we could not reach the body and would make it seem like the chandelier was lowered in order for the body to be put onto it.

 **Omezo:** The last thing they needed to do was to have someone see the real body and without knowing it was a dead Erena.

 **Omezo:** So they used some fast acting hair dye that Arishige had given to them. Unbeknownst to the culprit, some had dripped down onto the floor.

 **-Act V-**

 **Omezo:** Finally, they brought the body to the chute and switched places with it, and waited until two people, Juro and Leiko, came across the scene they had constructed.

 **Omezo:** Leiko did see Erena's body, but due to the disguise, had no clue of the truth behind it and believed it to be the culprit as they only looked at them for a second.

 **Omezo:** After the announcement played, In the middle of all the chaos, the killer then came out of hiding and tossed the body down the chute, into a place we had no access to.

 **Omezo:** This is the master plan our culprit devised behind all of our backs!

 **Omezo:** That person could only be you, Isoyo Imagawa, the Ultimate 3-Dimensional Artist!

 **-CASE CLOSED!-**

 **Rikako & Shuuyo: **[looking down, facing each other] we cannot begin to imagine why you would kill her…

 **Jurobei:** [clenching fist] Yeah! Why the hell would you fuckin kill her you psycho!

 **Noritoshi:** [dejected] She should have a reason, every villain does...

 **Heikichi:** [questioning] Well Isoyo? Why do this?

 **Masakado:** [finger on chin, sneering] You planned to put us all in a ditch in order to flee… I am intrigued to as why.

 **Leiko:** [enthusiastic] Maybe she's a demon and just enjoys the death and chaos!

 **Isoyo:** [looking away, and downwardsI'm no demon, but I might as well be for what I did.

 **Monotokage:** [eager] Save the explanation for after votin' time! I've been waiting to long for this. I want to execute my first blackened dammit!

We watched as a giant plinko machine dropped down from above, next to Monotokage. The slots on the bottom all had pixelated images of us depicted underneath them, identifying them as our slots.

 **-VOTING TIME!-**

The screen in front of me flicked on to reveal a voting panel.

 **Monotokage:** [foreboding tone] Before you lot vote, I should warn you that at least one of you needs to vote or you'll all die and the blackened will escape.

 **Monotokage:** [careless] But that never happens anyways since there's no way that many people can be that ridiculously stupid.

I hovered my finger over Isoyo's picture for a moment, still astonished by the fact that she did it, but I pressed it.

Everyone else followed suit, Isoyo even seemed to forcibly press down on the screen.

The machine screen above it showed fifteen votes for Isoyo.

 **Monotokage:** [hands resting on belly] Gahahahaha! What a whalloping score for our artist!

 **Nene:** [bowing] I can respect Isoyo's honor in admitting her own faults.

We watched as the plinko machine dropped a singular ball that landed in the slot with Isoyo's pixelated character on it. Confetti shot out everywhere while generic jackpot sounds played.

 **-TRIAL END!-**

* * *

 **Review response(s):**

Katastic Writer: Glad you're enjoying it! As for the inconsistency, I fixed it. I will say that you should trust the evidence list actually. Since, the reason why it was wrong was because I had most of the trial finished before posting the investigation chapter. Then I revised all the evidence before actually finishing everything; so, I just forgot to change the lines said by the characters afterwards. Thanks for pointing that out though.


	9. Chapter 1-7: How the Water Flows

Monotokage cackled loudly. "Welp, looks like you guys fucked it all up!" the lizard exclaimed, then she covered her mouth. "I can't wait to execute fifteen people at once! Junko never did that in a killing game before. Take that you lazy hoe!"

Heikichi looked worried for once. "Waitwhat?" He said incoherently with fear dancing in his eyes.

Masakado chuckled darkly. "Looks like I created the perfect crime," He said, his lips pulling into a fine line. "I will take great enjoyment in your faces of despair before death."

 _This is fake right? right…?_

"Gahahahahaha!~" Monotokage chortled, mouth agape with her tongue curling and she stuck it out. "I'm just screwing around, you got it correct. Isoyo Imagawa the Ultimate 3-Dimensional artist did in truth, strangle her closest friend in here to death!"

 _Is it wrong that I hate the fact we were correct?_

"Thanks for playing along though, Kado, you are one of the good ones!"

Kado turned away, "Hmpf…" the cultist scowled. "I don't need your thanks for my own personal enjoyment."

 _Figures… I know that there was a mole in the first killing game, if it turns out there is one here I know who I'm suspecting._

"I don't get it," Kaiya shook her head, furrowing her brow. "Not only was your crime risky, but Erena was the last person I'd expect you to kill."

I frowned slightly. "You did play a dangerous game, Sozen could have easily noticed you in the middle of it," I added with a somber tone.

The artist hugged her arms, "I was just desperate... " She admitted, avoiding eye contact. "I even began to fight back against my decision, and I would have probably stopped myself…"

Sozen tapped her foot with his arms crossed. "Yet that didn't happen now did it Ms. Imagawa," He stated with firmness.

The light brown haired girl leaned her cheek on her hand. "I wish I could go back and change it, it may not seem like it, but I am angry at myself for killing her," She explained, before biting her brush. "However, I was pushed into it by someone."

"Monotokage right?" Norito guessed, giving the robotic lizard a glare.

Isoyo shook her head. "That's not it, Masakado did," She slowly rotated her head to face the cult leader, whom just offered a sinister grin.

"The fuck!?" Juro exclaimed in shock, staggering back slightly.

"He found me out, he knew that I was going to kill her…" Isoyo said, pulling down her hat.

 _*flashback* (Isoyo's POV)_

While I was standing there in front of her room, I was contemplating my choice.

 _Can I really go through with this? She is the closest friend I've ever had… even if that's not saying much. But, I cannot stay here, I cannot lose my talent. However, what if it's not worth it, I'll probably get caught anyways, then it'll all be for nothing, and I will suffer the guilt of killing Erena all for naught. I shouldn't, I can turn back…_

Suddenly, Kado approached me, wagging his finger slowly. "Tsk tsk tsk… Isoyo, you would not happen to be attempting to murder Erena would you?" He questioned, clearly knowing the answer as he cleaned his nails with his dagger. "No, surely that's far off your moral compass."

I began biting my brush. "Huh. where did you…"

"I know you want to feel fear and hesitation, except, I encourage your decision," He said with a neutral expression.

"What do you mean…" My eyes averted his jade eyes' attempt to bore into mine.

The cult leader clicked his gums, "Don't let the opportunity pass you up, no one will know if you did it," he said, then he rested his hand on my shoulder with a convincing smile. "I won't tell because I believe you deserve to escape here. I even promise to lend you a hand in the trial."

"B-but, I-" I only found myself stammering in response.

 _How… how would I ever hide it, I'd be too ashamed, too afraid of myself and the others… but maybe with his help..._

He put a finger up to his lips, with his eyes closed. "Hush now, there are people out there waiting for you to return isn't there? They need you right?" He mentioned, crouching down to my eye level with a frown. "If you stop now and wait like the others, what will come of them? And without your talent… who would you even be?"

I felt my arms slump. "Nobody… I would be useless again…" I breathed, pulling my hat down, before grasping the rope in my hands harder. "You're right, I… I have to, for them… I only hope that Erena will understand…"

 _Never again, I will never be nothing again..._

Kado offered a light chuckle. "I'm sure she will, friends always wish the best for each other after all…" He grinned as he stood up. "Like I said before, I will keep quiet and assist, you have my word. Good luck."

I watched as he strolled off. Then I looked at the rope in my hands for a brief moment and knocked on the door.

 _*Flashback end*_

 _So that's it huh, that bastard has already chosen his side. If he wishes to help support the flag of despair then he best be ready to face the consequences._

"You are despicable Kado, goading her to do this," I spat as anger slowly filled my face. "She saw the light and you blinded her."

"She would have stopped herself, and Erena could have lived!" Sukey remarked, grasping her head as she struggled to keep her composure. "Now, we have to… *inhales* I can't even say it…"

"And you knew the entire fuckin' time!" Juro exclaimed in rage, his fist balled up. "There isn't a single damn thing you can say to defend yourself!"

Anzai coughed aloud. "As did I," the genius reminded with a cocky smirk. "I had the key to victory since the beginning~"

Nene rolled her eyes. "Somehow, I doubt that, but with Kado, it's for sure that he could have told us from the start," the blonde explained, crossing her arms.

"That must be why you spoke with me last night, to distract me from seeing Isoyo," Sozen realized, before frowning. "And I fell for it…"

Kado looked mildly annoyed for a second. "Tch-" His face seemed to darken as his face turned grim. "Think what you will, I know what I am."

"Yeah, a scoundrel," Heikichi chided.

"A manipulative rat..." Rikako & Shuuyo remarked.

"Sweaty lion!" Sukey shouted.

"A hot as fuck demon!" Leiko exclaimed, sweating profusely, her face flushing red with arousal.

"Ew, keep that shit to yourself!" Juro requested in disgust.

 _I don't think there's any stopping Leiko and her "unique" personality._

Isoyo clutched her hands close to her face as she looked down. "Regardless, it was my hands that ultimately ended Erena's life."

I ran my hand through my dark blue hair. "Why exactly did you do it?" I asked, stroking my chin. "Was it the motive?"

"Yes… but not exactly," Isoyo answered, pulling her hat down. "I could not lose my talent, it meant too much for not only me but my family. You see, I was useless as a child before I found out my talent, just as useless as my family. They could never support themselves, and it was always a struggle to see the next day."

A pained look filled Sukey's face, "That's terrible…" the musician muttered, allowing her tears drip down from her eyes.

"I was supposed to be their last hope, but I showed no signs of it for 7 long years, until I realized my talent for art," Isoyo explained. "It allowed me to give my family the support they've needed, to give us a prosperous life. That's not all, my talent is the only way for me to express any sort of emotion thanks to my disorder, I could never live such a life again. And if you wanted to know, I chose Erena because I didn't want to face her in the trial, since I knew I couldn't handle seeing her reaction to me being a killer and I don't want to watch her have a gruesome death by the hands of Monotokage had I won. Except, now I deeply regret that decision."

"I see… then you had a respectable motive," Nene commented somberly.

 _I suppose it is then, as far as reasons to kill go, that's one I understand well enough. I would say that I forgive her, mainly since it was Monotokage and Masakado's manipulation tactics that made her do it. That and I really can't judge someone like Isoyo so negatively..._

Arishige pulled out a bright pink tissue. "Ah~ how heartwarming," he said, wiping his eyes with the tissue. "An artist fighting for their family…"

Heikichi scratched underneath his beanie, "Murder is murder though," The pearl white haired boy said, not looking convinced. "What you did was wrong."

"Exactly, we don't need to hear all this unintelligible nonsense that you call a motive," Anzai remarked in annoyance, before putting on the sunglasses. "Ain't nobody give a flying fuck about your backstory! just take your damn guilt into hell already for wasting my valuable time!"

 _Geez, what a damn asshole, the least he could do was tone it down, but he went all out for no good reason on the poor girl. At times like these, I really wish I had the guts to kick someone's ass._

"I know..." Isoyo said, accepting the accusations. "I could never hate myself more…"

"Sure fuckin' was wrong, you wanted to sacrifice all of us for this shit!" Jurobei exclaimed, rubbing the back of his neck with a face of anger. "You think that's forgivable!"

Then it happened, Isoyo balled her left hand up as it shook violently. "I know!" She suddenly erupted into anger, throwing her hands down. "I deserve to die for what I did to Erena, she did not deserve death! If only I hadn't been so stupid! she'd be standing up alive and well with that smile on her face that has always been there until now…"

 _Wait… that was anger, an emotion… that she showed... how…?_

Norito was taken aback. "I-Isoyo?!" The janitor asked in absolute confusion and surprise. "Are you actually angry?"

Isoyo's eyes widened when she realized what just occurred, she looked around as if in dismay. "I-I-I am!" She sputtered in near disbelief as she regained her composure. "So... this is what it feels like then... to have emotions, it's almost surreal..."

"See, and people say despair can't cure diseases!" Monotokage exclaimed, before turning cheerful. "New slogan! Despair is the ultimate medicine! Yahehehehe~"

 _No, just no._

"Cosmetics have been doing that for years to come! Including making even your toaster feel happiness!" Arishige proudly stated, brushing his suit off. "It's far better than your despair."

"Wha! The toasters are alive!" Leiko gasped in fear. "I knew I could never trust my toaster! For all the times it ate my bread must have been in revenge from my abuse of it!"

 _If she's referring to what I think she is, then I don't understand her problem. Aren't toasters supposed to "eat" or for a better explanation, take your bread in one of the slots and toast it? Like, what does Leiko think they're meant for? Suntanning?_

"Heh...hehehe..." Isoyo looked almost elated for a moment along with that giggle, but it disappeared as quickly as it came. "For the first time, I can actually laugh at you two and your shenanigans…"

Rikako & and Shuuyo offered a solemn look. "What a terrible time for this to happen," They commented in a melancholy tone. "To be brought such a gift only taken away from this world soon afterwards."

Isoyo seemed to strain as she attempted a smile, ultimately failing. "I do wonder what happiness feels like, but I'll never get to won't I…?" She mused at the long lost dream. Her eyes began to appear watery.

"You better start hurrying up with this heartwarming crap, my insides are starting to curl," the lizard complained, looking as if she was about to keel over and hurl, then she looked confused for a moment. "Wait, why the hell am I demanding something I can just make happen?!"

"Please, give me more time!..." Isoyo pleaded with her hands clasped. "I have things I need to say!"

Monotokage let out a long and tiresome sigh. "Fine…" the lizard granted permission, placing her hands on her hips. "Only to add to my likeable factor over Monokuma."

"What is it Isoyo?" Kaiya asked curiously, rubbing her eyes real quick.

A hopeful expression formed on Isoyo's face. "I w-want you all to get out of this alive, together. I want to see you all get along like Erena wanted!" the artist requested, trying to be strong. "I know it's possible, you all teamed up to take me down, now you just need to do the very same to Monotokage!"

I felt a pained smile form, "O-of course," I assured.

 _This is really beginning to take its toll on my heart. I'm not the most emotional person, but I can feel the tears fighting their way out of my tear ducts._

Isoyo's face turned serious. "Promise me that you won't make the same mistake I made in betraying your friends…"

Nene held her fist up to her chest in a valiant manner. "I will, and I shall honor it," the fencer stated, bowing.

"That's a hard promise to keep…" Sozen commented, rubbing his jawline, before offering a somber look. "However, I promise that I'll make the effort."

"I also promise," Kaiya went along. "The only way we'll get through this, is if we can put aside our differences for once."

"So do I!" Norito nodded firmly, then he gave a bright smile. "Even if the others won't say it, I'm sure they'll come around soon enough too!"

Everyone else stayed quiet, some looking shameful and a couple were saddened and tearing up.

Isoyo traced a trail of one of her tears. "Thank you…" With that, the artist finally smiled for the first time in her life, and it was the most believable and brightest one yet.

 _She smiled, a genuine smile, if only this moment could last longer… Senior Lizard Twat will never allow it anyways._

Monotokage shrugged, "Welp, at least you got a smile in, but that'll be your last! Get your popcorn and soda ready bozos!" She exclaimed menacingly.

"W-wait, d-don't-" Sukey begged, shaking her head vehemently, causing a few of her tears to fly off.

"Let's get the show on the road!" Monotokage announced, throwing her arms in the air in excitement.

Isoyo clasped her hands close to heart with her eyes shut tightly. "Erena… please forgive me!" She let out in desperation, before lightly smiling as tears trailed down her face. "I'm so s-so sorry…"

"CAUSE BABY! IIIIITSSSSS PUNISHMENT TIIIIIIIIMME!"

"You'll face rightful judgement in the afterlife. May it be fair and just," the twins said, offering a bit of comfort in their words.

 **Suddenly, a chain with a metal collar attached to it shot out and latched itself around Isoyo's neck.**

"P-please, check the art room, and may it inspire you all…" Isoyo breathed out in a hollow voice, straining another smile.

"This will not-" Sozen shouted as he reached out to grab Isoyo's hand, but the sheer force of her body being pulled away caused it to slip out of his hand.

 **We watched as she was dragged into a room with it's walls lined with many strange looking wax sculptures. Two of which looked like Monotokage. She was stung up in the center of a circular stage that had many robotic arms stationed around it.**

* * *

 **-Now commencing punishment: True Immitationalism-**

 **Starring: Isoyo Imagawa the Ultimate 3-Dimensional Artist**

* * *

 **The room was lit up in a eery dim light, the robotic arms starting roaring to life as Isoyo struggled in the air.**

 **The arms began their work. They twisted and turned her arms in way that should be impossible, pulled and ripped at her flesh as mass amounts of blood flew everywhere, the horrific sound of bones snapping, flesh tearing, and screams echoed about the place and through everyone's ears.**

 **In the midst of it, Sozen had ran out and tried to interrupt it by deactivating the arms one by one, unfortunately, he was stabbed in the gut by a knife wielding arm, and slapped to the side by another.**

 **What was left was a horribly mangled Isoyo. Miraculously, She was still breathing, albeit very ragged. Tears streamed down her face as a large bucket of hot bubbling wax was dumped on top of her.**

 **The finished project was a waxed up Isoyo, whom resembled a flower of flesh and bones in a twisting and gruesome way. Confetti was shot out everywhere as a rating in the back was shown.**

 **It was a 0/10, and then suddenly, she was shredded into pieces by the robotic arms and dumped into a waste bin.**

 **Isoyo Imagawa was no more.**

* * *

"Ngh… AAAAAGGGAGAGGHHHH!" Juro screamed in absolute terror.

"EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!" Sukey shrieked covering her eyes.

All sense of color drained from my face. "S-Sozen!" I shouted. "Isoyo…"

 _This can't be... did two people get executed just then…? how are we going to do this without Sozen's controlling force? I feared watching these executions for a reason, but it was much worse than I ever thought it'd be. To think someone has that much of a fucked up imagination..._

"Why did he do that!?" Nene blurted out, running over to where he landed, face first on the cold hard floor.

"Catch me…" Leiko gasped, letting out a sigh as she fell backwards into Anzai whom let her fall right by him, causing her to hit the floor with a thud.

Anzai himself was trembling, and his right eye was twitching.

Arishige was sweating up a storm in fear, while furiously spraying himself with vanilla cherry perfume.

"Hrggh…" Kaiya grimaced in disgust, grabbing her stomach.

Norito looked very distraught as he fell to his knees.

I didn't even realize how much I had been tearing up until I felt how swollen my eyes were.

"Hmmm… nice touch with making her into a flower," Kado observed with praise. "It really symbolizes her relationship with Erena."

The lizard looked bashful, kicking her foot. "Aw shucks, I appreciate your compliment," Monotokage thanked. "I put a lot a thought into this one!"

"The both of you are screwed up in every wrong way possible," Heikichi remarked, sounding disgusted.

Rikako & Shuuyo numbly shook their heads. "No human being deserves to be executed in such a horrid and gruesome way…" they remarked with somber expressions.

"I-is Sozen dead…?" Norito asked, sounding unsure but deeply worried.

"No, I am fine," Sozen announced as he slowly stumbled onto his feet, with Nene helping him on the way up.

 _That's a big relief, however, his injury may be too serious to survive without proper medical attention..._

"Don't lie, you are losing a lot of blood," Nene said with concern in her expression, observing his wound.

"You're certainly less than beautiful looking at the moment," Arishige commented, resting his head on his hand.

The sheriff began coughing up a spurt of blood into his hand. "I'll get through it…" Sozen assured, feigning a smile. "Relax."

"There's no time for relaxing dude!" Juro exclaimed in disbelief, before gesturing in the direction of where Isoyo was executed. "Did you not see what just fuckin' happened!"

He frowned as he kept pressure on his wound. "I know, I tried saving her." He looked down in shame. "But I… failed…"

"We need to get you to an infirmary," Sukey suggested with a worried look. "Don't begin with that tough guy act now."

Anzai scoffed. "We don't have access to one bright eyes!" The genius chided, flicking his hair.

"Monotokage!" Kaiya shouted, turning to the dark purple and white lizard. "Can you spare us something this one time?"

"Pretty please with a blackened soul on top!" Leiko added with puppy dog-like eyes.

"Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm…" Monotokage thought, holding her finger up to her chin.

 _This sounds like it's leading to a firm denial._

"Lucky for you, you all are rewarded new places to explore for getting through the trial!" Monotokage finally answered with cheeriness. "It may or may not have an infirmary, so don't count all the eggs just yet!"

"Our luck may have just run out though…" the twins brought up, sounding dissatisfied.

"I'll check the new locations, you all should get rest now," Nene said as she took off her coat and wrapped it around Sozen's wound. Allowing him to rest his hand that was keeping the pressure on it.

 _Wow, what a change coming from her. These games really have a way of bringing people together at times don't they?_

"When did you become helpful?" Heikichi asked in surprise, before crossing his arms and rolling his eyes. "For all this time you've been blabbering on about how weak and pathetic we were."

"Don't start," She deadpanned. "I will acknowledge the possibility that I misjudged most of you. The trial made me realize that. Just don't let that get to your head."

"Let's um… just get back to our rooms then," I suggested with a nervous look. "Hopefully, Sozen will make it through the day."

 **With that, we all got back onto the elevator and ascended out of that living nightmare.**

* * *

 **I trudged towards my room and entered it, immediately collapsing onto the bed.**

 **-Omezo's room-**

 _We… made it through, but I still feel horrible, that familiar feeling of immense pressure on my chest returning. It must be despair right? This is what so many ultimates had gone through, what my father had gone through… I'll have to get used to it, because I fear that it'll keep coming back. I may have made that promise to Isoyo, however, I don't believe the others will hold it. Even then, I'm not quite sure I'll continue to as well. I almost feel like I do not want to wake up after tonight._

Fortunately, I was able to drift off to sleep, not without seeing Isoyo's face of pure terror even before every went dark.

* * *

 **-?-**

" _Don't you think this a little too easy? Like, it's basically baby mode for these children."_

" _Well, one snapped in the end regardless."_

" _It's just that, the game feels too similar to Junko's you know? Yes, there's no rules yet and you play unfair, but that's not enough don't you think?"_

" _I suppose you're correct, I do have to outshine that pathetic being they call the ultimate despair…"_

" _Then what do you plan on doing about it?"_

" _I'll just have to up the difficulty is all, I have a creative speech for my decision, but I don't want to waste it here, since this is like a teaser."_

" _It certainly does feel like one…"_

* * *

 **Chapter 1**

 **How the Water Flows**

 **END**

* * *

 ***Ultimates remaining: 14***

* * *

 **AN: Alright, so it may take quite a bit till I begin chapter 2, so in the meantime, I'd like to hear your guys' overall thoughts on chapter 1. Of course, I do not mind if you choose not to review, but that makes me sad, and do you want me to be sad? Nah, I'm just joking, do what you want, I'm not going to cry over something like that.**

* * *

 **Review response(s):**

 _TheRoseShadow: If you thought that was intense, then the rest will be like a rollercoaster over the sun!_

 _Katastic Writer: You know, I almost didn't think of the strut idea until I realized, hey, bodies limp don't they? And it made for a good thing for Isoyo to protest in her defense with. I'm glad that I threw someone off though!_


	10. Chapter 2-1: Cemetery of Stars

**-Omezo's room-**

 _*Ding dong, bing bong*_

 **"It's 7:00 A.M. ya chumps! Get your asses up, I don't wanna hear you crying over the dead either."**

 _No crying huh? I'm sure we've gotten past that point, now it's just wallowing in what we lost... for those that care anyways. Even though I spent a majority of my time expecting the worst, all that happened yesterday hit me harder than I planned. Fortunately, I can find within myself to continue onwards… it's what Isoyo asked for after all. Speaking of, she mentioned something about the art room… I should check that out._

* * *

 **-Ultimate dorms 1st floor-**

This room returned to its normal appearance. It's as if the murder never happened in the first place. However, the images of the statue we all thought was Erena's real body flashed in my mind when I looked up at the chandelier. I felt a shiver run down my spine.

Masakado was standing in the center, underneath the chandelier, he looked at me for a moment, smirking for a second. "All that had occured last night had been so detrimental to our sanity, leaving our souls drowning in sorrow and sadness…" He solemnly shook his head. "How could we ever keep Isoyo's promise at this rate…"

I frowned in response. "What gives you the right to make that judgment?" I questions with a hint of venom in my tone. "You know full well that the events yesterday were all caused by your indirect involvement."

 _Not only that, but I don't recall him ever promising Isoyo anything in her last moments._

The cult leader simply tested the points of the bone spikes on his right arm with an expressionless face. "Do you wish for me to feel the crushing grip of guilt?" Kado queried, before flicking his hair, a hint of denial. "If so, allow me to disregard it, as I never intended the result to be what it was."

I firmly shook my head. "Any result that could've happened was never going to end happily," I informed, clenching my fist slightly, shutting my eyes as well. "It was either this or we all die and Isoyo lives with that guilt her entire life, with it possibly breaking her. There is absolutely no justification for what you did, bastard…"

Kado gave me a dark look as he loomed over me. "If you feel that I should be punished, then instead of insulting me like a worthless worm, why don't you actually do something?"

I crossed my arms and looked away. "I don't know what else I can do, I mean, I could end your life, but that wouldn't end well for anyone,"

He almost seemed disappointed by my answer. "By all means, continue to just stand idly by, despising every second of my existence," the black and green haired man said as he whisked me away with his cape of melded bone, brushing by me, not before granting me a callous look behind his shoulder. "Alas, I have no desire to remain in your presence, it reeks of incompetence."

 _Even if I cannot do anything, I'm sure the others have their own ideas to give that bastard his just desserts. I just wish I understood why he is being this way, it'd make things easier._

* * *

 **-Art room-**

Seems like most of the others had the same idea to come here. The only ones that aren't here is Kado, Anzai, and Sozen.

 _Right, Sozen's probably in some medical room on the new floor, if there was one. Either that or he's… passed on, but that's unlikely, he'd be able to make it through even without medical attention…_

Focusing my attention of the whole room. I was shocked to see statues of all of us situated around the room, they were just as faithful to us as Erena's was. The expressions on all of our statues' faces were many variations of happiness, excitement, and cheerfulness. Erena and Isoyo's are seemingly talking to each other while sitting closely next to each other while Isoyo is blushing a bit. Anzai, Heikichi, Sukey, and mine are playing some card game over a round table. Kado, and Leiko's are both are both reading some book about demons together. Norito's is posed in some fighting stance with a mop, as the twins' observed, seemingly judging it. Sozen, and Kaiya's were back to back, as if they were two partners in crime, Sozen holding a revolver, and Kaiya wielding some kind of umbrella sword. Arishige's is applying some makeup on Nene's statue's face, whom was smirking at Juro's as it balanced a soccer ball on the back of its left foot's heel.

 _I was not expecting this to be so elaborate. Where did she find the time to do all this? It has to be that project that she said she was working on. Nevertheless, this is quite the pleasant imagery. It would be a crime to say it didn't leave me with inspiration..._

"Well, ain't this fucking cute as shit," Juro said. "I almost feel hella inspired now! And I don't even know what for."

Leiko jabbed a sharp nail at the soccer player with an irritated glare. "Where's your art appreciation sense?!" Leiko accosted, letting out a huff. "This is very clearly showing us the pure sexual tension that we have for each other and that we should just strip down and have an all out orgy."

An awkward smile pulled at my lips. "I surmise that you're just mixing your wildest dreams with reality." I told the raucous demonologist.

"Na uh! My wet dreams only involve sexy demon lords, SDLs for short." Leiko denied, but still beginning to flush with arousal. "None of you have proven to be a SDL... yet."

 _Emphasis on yet, because that means she may think one of us is… ugh, why do I care again?_

Nene let out a small sigh. "Back to seriousness, I believe this is what Isoyo wanted us to see." The fencer observed, thoughtfully looking over the statues.

"It is certainly magnificent how accurate and fabulous everything looks," Arishige complemented, twirling his fluffy white cowlick around before grinning. "I must admit, she is truly an artist of great magnitude that even rivals my own fantisicent cosmetics!"

 _Here we go again..._

Heikichi rolled his eyes. "Enough with the shameless advertisement already," the hacker requested, putting a hand on top of his beanie with an annoyed look. "Can't you tell that we all just don't have time for your products?"

Arishige then looked absolutely offended. "Ah! Well, whatever! I suppose this isn't the proper environment for my attempts to further my company's livelihood and success," The fuchsia haired man reluctantly complied, fanning himself.

An expression of relief filled my face. "About time, that's already progress towards our unification," I said, mildly pleased.

"It is most stunning to see the near unreal recreation of ourselves," The twins commended, offering an unnerving smile as they looked closely into their statues' faces. "She even made sure to give us an unnerving visage."

"Yeah, I feel like if I stared into the eyes of your statues, my soul would be drained every second," Norito ascertained with an uneasy smile. "Isoyo did a pretty amazing job I'd say."

Rikako covered her mouth with her fingertips. "Hmhmhmhmhmm~ now that we've had the chance to observe ourselves in this light…" The bat winged girl began.

"We can sympathize with those that confuse the two of us, it is truly puzzling," Shuuyo finished, lightly pinching her nose.

"Seeing everyone together like this just seems too unbelievable," Heikichi commented with skepticism. "There's approximately a zero percent chance that Kado or Anzai would ever care to indulge in these activities as they're represented. Not to mention, this killing game just makes trusting anyone difficult."

 _He is kind of right in that regard. I do find it hard to imagine some of these people in these situations in actuality. It's almost hilarious to witness Kado and Anzai having fun with others, even if I know it's fake. They just don't look natural with such a bright smile plastered on their faces like that._

Sukey pressed her hand on her collarbone, leaning into it."Isoyo may have been overzealous with this creation, but I find it to be very sweet of her, and I get what she's trying to tell us," She rested a hand on her dresses's collar, offering a warm smile. "This is what she wants our goal to be, to develop trust and friendship with everyone, so that what we see here becomes reality. While it may seem unlikely, setting improbable goals is part of life, we just need to strive to reach it."

"That ship sailed once this game began," The twins coldy stated, their lips pursed. "And sunk into the everlasting, deep, dark abyss as soon as our dear biologist succumbed to an eternal slumber..."

Norito gave a powerful thumbs up, beaming at us. "It's not too late, I'm confident that with enough elbow grease and soap, we can lift that ship back onto the surface, and dust it right off," the janitor said with much confidence.

"Not everyone will be willing to participate," I doubted, running my hand through my dark blue hair. "We cannot expect to be capable of jumping the gun so hastily."

"They will, the instinct for survival is part of the human's genes," Nene justified, looking stoic. "We all should realize the only way everyone lives, is if we cooperate against our captor. And guess again before deluding yourself by thinking you can escape through murder. You saw what became of Isoyo, that's what you should fear more than anything, not each other."

 _Exactly, anyone with half a brain would fear such a gruesome death. The problem is, there will be times where one of us are just pressured and broken by this killing game, to the point where they disregard that fact. Additionally, those that are confident in their skills will believe they will outsmart everyone. I know from my father that you cannot feasibly predict anyone's actions in such a game. Even Monotokage, as a whole new host, is just as unpredictable as the rest of us._

Heikichi tilted his head to the side. "That was well said and all, but there's still a flaw in that logic," The hacker stuck a hand underneath his beanie. "How can you be so sure that Monotokage won't just kill us all if we never do it ourselves? She's not like Monokuma, she may not care enough about entertainment or seeing us fall into despair to keep us alive even if we go against her. Escaping through murder is the only way out that's guaranteed if we pass the trial at least."

I furrowed my brow. "How can you be so sure that she will let you go after you so selfishly escape via murder? As you said, she's not Monokuma, she plays unfairly, and her motives are mostly unknown," I countered with reason.

Heikichi looked momentarily unsure. "Well, you one upped me there I guess," the pearl white haired boy shrugged. "Good luck getting everyone to think that way, that'll be just as difficult as beating a boss without getting hit. FYI, I'm not turning my back to anyone just yet."

"That's true, only a few people actually made that promise to Isoyo," Kaiya brought up, a thoughtful expression filled her face. "Yet, Nene was one of them, and that shows that even the coldest of the ice queens can possibly cooperate."

"Something certainly melted her ice, because now she actually cares about us." I commented.

"You know, I think I'll miss her ice cold, femme fatale attitude," Juro lamented, scratching the back of his neck. "I really digged it you know?"

"Just don't get in over your head about it," Nene apprised, frowning while looking away. "I regret to inform you that I do not consider any of you more than just an ally. Most of you merely proved you have a strong will to survive during that trial, other factors remain pathetic."

 _That makes things a little more believable in her case. But, the reason as to why she felt the need to promise Isoyo remains a mystery to me… ugh, I just have to know._

"Then why did you go out of character and promise to fulfill Isoyo's request?" I questioned eagerly. "What made her worth that?"

Nene put a fist to her chest, standing up strong. "I value honor more than anything. She had the honor to admit her faults and accept death. So, in my admiration, I felt she deserved to have her promise honored," The blonde bowed her head, closing her eyes, she almost seemed sad. "She… also reminded me o-"

 _ ***Breeeeeeeaaaap!* *Breeeeeeeeaaaap!***_

I felt my breathe hitch sharply at that sound. The wailing siren probably causing some of us quite the fright as we quickly rushed to where it was coming from in a panic. The smell of smoke grew as we got closer to the location of the noise.

* * *

 **-Botanical garden-**

The garden was filled with black smoke from the massive, raging flames in the garden. I immediately felt sweat beginning to form thanks to the intense heat of the fire.

 _Are you fucking serious…? Monotokage straight up went against her own words! Isoyo committed murder just like she asked for! This wasn't supposed to happen after that fact!_

"Oh fuck fuck fuckitty fuckin' fuck!" Juro exclaimed while in a panicked state as he paced back and forth.

"Come on, that lizard still began the incineration of the garden!?" Kaiya complained, palming her forehead. "If only I had my ultra water cannon…"

"In hindsight, never trust those with forked tongues," The twins said with a look of contempt.

Leiko rolled her eyes, placing her hands on her hips. "Demons will be demons, making everything a living hell," the icy blue haired girl then shifted her demeanor to excitement. "Not that I mind a little suntan!"

"Instead of standing around like idiots, how about you try and assist dousing the flames!" Nene demanded, gesturing us to move out.

We hurriedly spread out and about, Juro and Kaiya found the fire extinguishers, and quickly attempted to put out the flames. However, the fire was just too large, and had expanded over the entire garden. So, it was to no avail.

 _This more and more dire by the minute..._

Nene grunted in dismay. "Try the sprinklers that are used to water the plants then!" she suggested, pointing at the pipes above the garden. "Follow those to the source!"

I managed to reach some kind of valve on the back wall, that appeared to be connected to the pipes above the garden. I tried to turn it, but it was resisting my efforts to turn it, meaning it was probably rusty. Luckily, Nene took over, and spun it around effortlessly.

The flames were then completely doused in water from the sprinklers, as Juro and Kaiya helped finish it off. Sadly, there wasn't much left of the garden, it was nothing but ash and charred remains. The sprinklers eventually turned off as we looked at the disaster that was once a lively garden, feeling crestfallen and/or angered.

I fought back the temptation to scream in irritation.

 _You know, things were starting to look up after the heartwarming scene in the art room. Now this… this effectively cuts our supply of food in half, and not only that, but leaves us with little variation in nutrients. Whoever the hell is controlling Monotokage needs to be fucking raked across the coals and ripped to shreds while burning alive._

"Welp, there goes our surplus of food. Meat's the only thing on the menu now," Heikichi joked, not really caring.

Sukey sorrowfully shook her head."Must this always get more harrowing for us…" the band director's eyes becoming misty. "Losing Erena and Isoyo was enough already…"

Nene clenched her rapier's hilt in anger. "Tch- I dream of the day I get to rip that robot apart," the fencer threatened dangerously.

I clutched my scarf. "Maybe there's something we can salvage, it couldn't have been burning long enough to destroy all of it," I said with some hope, with an anxious look. "Surely, most of the root plants survived."

Norito rubbed his thumb across his fingers."Unfortunately, Monotokage did more than just light a fire, she also uprooted and smashed everything," The red head bit his lip, glossing over the remains of the place. "There isn't even any seeds. But, at least I have… a new mess to clean up..."

Leiko gave us a dumbfounded look. "Why are you guys getting upset over vegetables?" she asked in disgust. "They only disappoint your taste buds."

 _Because, we are not childish, we understand the importance of all the nutrients..._

"We do have some fruits and vegetables in the kitchen, we could use seeds from there, if they are still there that is." Sukey mentioned.

 _*bing bong ding dong*_

" **It's 7:00 A.M. Although, I bet that blaring alarm gave you quite the wake up call already! Gahahahaha! Furthermore, I want to see you all in the announcement room ASAP!"**

Juro clenched his fists to his sides. "We don't have time for this shit!" the soccer player complained, exasperated.

"Announcements are usually bad, she can't make things worse right?" Sukey mused with uncertainty.

"Only one way to find out. Let's just head over there before she decides to remove the kitchen from existence." Nene suggested.

* * *

 **-Announcement room-**

"It's just one headache after another," Anzai announced in annoyance as he entered the room. "Can one of you imbeciles tell me what that blasted siren was about? It interrupted my thinking space."

"The garden is in ashes now thanks to Monotokage," I answered.

"It is the third day, and as she warned, the garden was to be up in flames once this day arrived." Kado mentioned stoically.

"She said _only_ if we never killed." Kaiya said. "And death occurred, unless that was all just a big hoax of a murder."

Kado sneered. "It's possible that she just wasn't pleased since I needed to push things a little." he twirled his dagger around. "A kill isn't the same when the killer doesn't do the deed all on their own right."

"Could you just shut the hell up?!" Juro requested in a furious manner.

"Not with that attitude." Kado said with scorn in his voice. "People would be more compliant if you treat them with respect."

"Except, you don't deserve respect," Nene countered disdainfully.

"Whew, it sure is getting hot in here, huh?!" Monotokage announced as she appeared on the stage, seeming pleased with herself.

"What the hell gave you a reason to burn the garden?" I blurted out in frustration. "Isoyo killed Erena, like you wanted."

Monotokage offered an indignant shrug. "Well, I just thought it was a bit too chilly down here, so I decided to heat things up," the dark purple and white lizard answered, then she looked upset. "I was only giving you comfort… I think I deserve some gratitude from you, kiddos!"

 _This little pest… I wonder, just how does she compare to Monokuma? Is she worse or better? I'm beginning to lean towards the former._

"You dodge questions just as much as I dodge bullets…" Kaiya observed.

"What do you mean? I've been nothing but completely honest with you!" The lizard exclaimed in bewilderment, before looking menacingly at us. "But, I'm not here to argue with a bunch of disrespectful teens. Oh no, I am just informing you about the changes that will be made. Continuing on, there will now be rules in place, so kiss your freedom goodbye. Not only that, but I'm also going to be revealing a few secrets after every trial you survive, because I'd rather not waste them on a single motive, since that's overused."

 _Great, now we must deal with secrets being dangled over our heads. Some of them may prove to have the weight of a truck. I don't know what I'll do if she drops mine on everyone..._

Sukey leaned her head forward into her awaiting palms, shaking her head slowly back and forth. "Looks like things are going to get worse after all..."

Monotokage chortled, lashing her tail around in amusement."If you think this is bad, just you wait!" the lizard said, raising a claw in the to obtain our attention. "I'll be introducing tons of new features and spins as well, think of it like difficulting scaling in a video game. Each time you prove to be tougher to beat in a trial, things get more and more torturous! Yahehehehe~ that's sure to outdo Junko's killing game!"

My blood ran cold for a split second.

 _She's instistent on making this a living hell, tormenting us into murder no matter what it takes. Coming here for safety was a mistake, this is the least safe place on earth now..._

"I don't even want to imagine what the killing game's version of the legendary difficulty is," Heikichi commented, scratching his upper lip.

Nene unsheathed her rapier, holding it up straight with both hands, she tilted her forehead towards the blade. "I have proven myself time and time again, nothing you throw at me will break my spirit," she chanted proudly.

"Sure, sure, say that all you want, but even if you're not bullshiting me, the others aren't looking so confident at the moment!" Monotokage said, clearly not buying Nene's miniature speech, as the lizard looked over everyone with a sinister expression.

"You got that right, This shit is fucked enough as it is!" Juro said. "This game is way more grueling than championship league!"

"The future isn't looking so bright anymore…" The twins said ominously, holding each other's hands. "The maw to hell ever opening…"

"In due time, we all will have the strength to persevere," Nene reassured, showing us just how determined she is to follow up on her promise. "For now, I command you to listen to those with the stronger will than you, such as I. Although, I cannot promise my leadership will be the most efficient. A lone wolf can only handle so much of a pack."

 _She really is taking that promise to the next level… Not that I'm complaining, we need a leader more than anything to elicit some peace in our group. Nene ws just the last person I thought would take that role upon herself. Although, I fully expect Sozen to assist, if he's still okay that is..._

"That's fine by me, better than being lost and confused on your own," Heikichi agreed, though it was hard to tell if he was truly being serious. "01001 011001."

Anzai scoffed. "My brain and mentality is worth more than a trillions minds conformed together!" the genius exclaimed proudly, following up with a scornful glare. "I will never need nor want leadership from plebeians."

"Leadership smeadership, I have secrets to tell of! Starting with only three this time around," Monotokage said, sounded tired of all the herioc talk from Nene. "Ahem… Arishige Hashiba's hair is a product of his own creation, or more specifically, a wig." She then quickly rushed over to Arishige, tearing off his wig, revealing him to be completely bald.

 _Huh… did not see that coming. Honestly, I have no clue what to think of that. I find it funny yet kind of strange at the same. Just seeing his face, combined with the hairless head. Something about it is kind of creepy..._

"Ahahahaha~ he was keeping an egg warm underneath that hair the entire time!" Leiko giggled wildly, rolling around on the floor.

Arishige patted at the top of his head as his movements became increasingly erratic. "Hagh! M-my positively fantabulous, beautastic image cannot be shattered like this!" he shielded himself as much as he could, as he became hysterical. " G-give it back you little scoundrel!"

Monotokage looked about ready to bust out laughing really hard as she spun the wig around on he finger. "Gahah! Sure, have it back, skinhead!" she flung it towards the shameful looking cosmetologist.

He caught it, flashing everyone an agitated look."None of you saw anything! Nothing! You hear me!" he demanded, absolutely furious. "And don't even think about ever relaying this embarrassing and compromising information to the public or I will drown you in perfume! Got that!"

"I think you're overreacting a bit too much there," Kaiya said nervously, trying to offer a comforting smile. "Being bald isn't tha-"

"I said, got that!" Arishige yelled, ragingly pointing a finger at the secret agent.

"Aye aye, compadre," Kaiya saluted, stepping back a ways from the livid man.

"Next, I'll have to expose our resident soccer player, Jurobei Kotake." Monotokage notified, clutching her stomach. "This man sure knows how to take it, as he's a pain loving masochist!"

"Aw god dammit!" Juro sounding more disappointed than angry at the revelation.

"Honestly, that's not really that surprising. He wasn't very good at keeping that a secret in the first place," I pointed out with a slightly amused grin.

"As strange and kind of freaky as that fetish is, it's not something you need to feel terrible about when things such as necrophilia exist…" Sukey offered her support.

Juro laced his hands behind his head. "Exactly, I just take the "no pain no gain" to the next level is all,"

"If you wish to be whipped into oblivion…" Shuuyo started with an alluring gaze.

"Don't be afraid to ask us…" Rikako finished, beckoning Juro over.

Juro went wide eyes, before twinging in disgust. "Thanks, but I'll have to kindly say hell no."

"At least I understand now why you insist on obtaining my love," Nene mused, playing with her braided mohawk. "I thought you were just astoundingly insane."

 _No, I think he still constitutes as insane, or at the very least, has a mild case of the crazies._

"Finally, Leiko Yamishiro's signatures are all forged, she hasn't actually met a single demon in her life!" Monotokage examined, raising her hands in the air.

Leiko began to sweat profusely. "No no no… now everyone knows that I'm a pathetic excuse of a demonologist…" she lamented, twiddling with her fingers as she tried to look innocent. "But I swear on my soul that I have met one! Just never convinced them to sign anything…"

"I knew something was fishy when I saw those signatures," Kaiya rubbed her chin. "To give credit where it's due, I am impressed with how good you were at differentiating them."

 _I was confused when I saw those names in that book of hers, but as far as secrets go, it's not all that bad. It's not like Leiko had much to hide in the first place, I'm more surprised that she had a secret at all to begin with._

"Do with that information as you will, I will be back later to announce a new motive, since I know to expect disappointment from you bozos. Oh, and don't forget to read the rules," Monotokage left with those parting words.

I decided to just get the rules out of the way now.

* * *

 **Rule #1: Violence against your gracious host is strictly prohibited. If you cannot resist the temptation, then Monotokage will turn you into butter.**

 **Rule #2: Damage to any monitor, speaker or camera is also strictly prohibited. Monotokage will turn you to ash if you do.**

 **Rule #3: Breaking into rooms that are locked, by my hand, is not allowed. Unless you want Monotokage to play kickball with your head with some of her clones.**

 **Rule #4: The maximum number of participants you may kill at a time, is two. Failure to abide will result in me choking you with your own tongue.**

 **Rule #5: Each floor of the facility will be accessible after each trial, if any participant is found in a district not currently available, Monotokage will promptly blow them to smithereens.**

 **Rule #6: Further rules can be added at host Monotokage's discretion.**

* * *

 _I'm just happy they aren't all that oppressive. It actually makes things a little safer for everyone with established rules like this._

"So, Juro's a masochist, surprising no one, Leiko's signatures are forged, and Arishige isn't as gorgeous as he made himself out to be." Heikichi went over what was learned before shrugging. "Not the worst secrets in the world."

"That's not what we should worry about," Norito disclosed, shaking his head. "Now that we know she'll be tossing out secrets like this, those with serious or very bad ones are going to feel pressured into escaping before then."

"Why don't we just tell everyone our secrets now then," Kaiya boldy suggested. "Better to get it out of the way before it becomes a real issue on our sanity."

I firmly shook my head. "It's not that easy, I don't think any of us are so willing, especially when we have no idea what the repercussion will be."

"May I have permission to offer some insight?" Kado piped up, raising his hand as if this was a class in session.

"Fine, make it quick." Nene complied, albeit, reluctantly.

"If we all admit to our darkest secrets, it'd be all too easy for us to lie," Kado said, bringing up a rather valid point. "For example, I could just say that I kiss those I sacrifice on the nose like a good mommy, and you'd believe me."

"What kind of madman kiss- actually, that's not really that bad…" Heikichi commented.

Kado grinned menacingly. "After I seperate the nose from their face of course,"

 _He sure loves painting horrific images in our minds..._

Norito flinched in revulsion. "Yeah that's more nasty, certainly would believe that you actually do that."

"It seems the case of our deepest secrets warrants discussion for later." Nene scrutinized. "Right now, we still have an entire floor to search for any possible answers or ways out."

"Then let's move out soldiers!" Kaiya commanded, marching out of the room.

* * *

 **-Laundry room-**

Pretty much what I was expecting, just a standard laundromat. It matched the theme of the ultimate dorm room outside. There were four dryers lined up along the left wall, and 4 washing machines mirroring them on the right wall. In the back, there was a large container, made of beige fabric, situated underneath a laundry chute. Fortunately, I did not have to bear witness to Erena's body within it. Furthermore, in the middle of the room was a long, rectangular, white table. In the back, in both of the corners, were green cabinets.

"I see that Erena's body has been taken care of…" I realized, inspecting the container meant for laundry.

"Yeah, and I had to clean up the dreaded corpse myself," Norito admitted, looking a bit despondent. "I may be the cleanliness hero, but I've never handled an actual human body before. I don't think I'll ever forget the feel of a cold, lifeless, body, and that expression… it'll haunt me for a long while. At least she's spared of the horrors that may await us."

Sukey offered a look of understanding. "I can imagine, I've already got enough nightmares from that execution…" she said, deeply saddened. "Nobody should have to experience such pain."

 _If anyone is capable of forgetting that sickening execution, I would love for them to tell me how to wash it out._

"Did you also clean up the rest of the crime scene?" I asked.

"Yep... Monotokage insisted on it, since she wanted to just sit back and relax, and I'd get it done the quickest," Norito answered in a dejected manner. "That is the first time I've ever disliked cleaning in my life."

"You shouldn't have to do all that dirty work," I told him. "We've all dealt with enough crap recently."

Norito waved his hand dismissively. "Nah, it's fine, If I can get used to the nasty smells of an outhouse, and the slimy, moldy, old houses. I'll be able to deal with corpses sooner or later." he said with a hint of confidence.

"Just, please don't overwork yourself, Norito," Sukey said. "You do too much for us already."

"I appreciate the concerns, but we should shift our focus to things like keeping Isoyo's promise, and searching for some alternative to escape." Norito said.

"That reminds me, Sukey, you didn't accept her promise, which, I found very unexpected." I mentioned, furrowing my brow.

Sukey was awash with unease. "I just… don't have the motivation or confidence that I could keep everyone in line and unite them," she gave a sullen expression as her limbs went lax. "I would only fail Isoyo…"

Norito flashed her a charismatic smile. "Cmon, Sunny! You are the ultimate band director," he said enthusiastically, draping and arm over Sukey's shoulders, to which she smiled ever so slightly. "Sure, you are used to drawing together people through and for music, but that doesn't change how inspirational you can be, and you're the most capable out of all of us in that regard."

 _Norito stayed true to the nicknames at least. Sometimes, I wish I could just obtain the mindset of people like him, since that would make life much more of a blast..._

"He's right, I told you that I was a fan of yours, so I know how much you value chemistry, and have shown firsthand that you can unify all manners of people." I added with a smile.

Sukey glumly shook her head. "This is exactly why I fear failing, because I knew that everyone would just rely on me," she hugged herself, turning away from us. "And if I couldn't do it, then we'd all be lost as a result. I've never had to deal with people that are rotten to the core like Anzai and Kado, or just plain outrageous like Leiko, and then you have the fact that everyone has their own interest and motives that aren't even close to mine. Furthermore, I already tried to host a bonding session, but barely anyone cared, and it was ruined in the end…"

 _After that whole spiel about the scene Isoyo created in the art room, she reverts back into this brooding mindset. I'd hate to be on the rollercoaster of emotions she's been dealing with lately, must be nauseating. She's just thinking to far ahead._

I stroked my chin, taking a moment to think. "I see… maybe, starting small would work out better," I suggested. "Clearly, worrying about all the others doesn't help, and convincing them is a challenge."

Norito pumps a fist. "Yeah! We could just make a bit of an arrangement for just the three of us," the janitor said, beaming with positive energy. "Like, we could just hang out and do whatever together 30 minutes before the morning announcement every. One by one, we could get the others to join in, and prove that we can get along. That should revitalize your motivation and confidence, and drain out all the nasty memories."

Sukey idly stood in silence for a bit, until she snapped out of her stupor. "That… sounds good actually, and it'd also allow us to council each other when the going gets rough," the band composer agreed, her spirits lifting. "Thanks, Nori-,Scrubby, for picking up the ball that I dropped."

Norito puffed out his chest with pride. "All in a day's work! I figured my herioc deeds could extend past cleaning, just remember that you always have my shoulder to cry on! I have the absorbency of a sponge when it come to emotions," he twirled his mop around like a baton, then pointed the handle at me. "And I'm sure the same goes for ol' Ace."

I gawked for a second. "Sure… uh, of course." I agreed with a bit of reluctance.

* * *

 **-Men's locker room-**

I had to go through the men's bathroom to enter the locker room, which I assume then leads to the actual shower area. There more than enough medium sized, red, lockers to use. The floor is made up of many small, square, tiles that had a red and white checkered pattern to it, and the walls matched it, except with larger tiles. The ceiling looked like it was made from metal. There was two, large, recessed light fixtures in the ceiling, one for each side. Directly underneath them were two long wooden benches. There was also two baskets, one with a bunch of different colored towels, and the other empty. Not all that extravagant I must say, but who even cares, it's a freaking locker room.

 _As much as I would love to search each and every locker, I doubt it'll be worth the effort. I'll leave that to someone else more willing._

* * *

 **-Showers-**

This place has the exact same type of walls, floor, and ceiling as the locker room. There were 8 shower heads protruding from the left and right walls respectively, lined up, and evenly spaced apart. Of course, there was also two knobs underneath each of them. Leiko was standing over by one of the shower heads, but before I could say anything, she whipped around to look at me.

"Whoa there! Seems I spotted a terrible Creepin' Tom, you sly devil~" Leiko wagged her finger.

"Um, n-no, that's not what I was doing, Leiko," I negated, hiding my now red cheeks with my golden scarf. "Don't get the wrong idea."

The demonologist bit her upper lip. "You're the one that has the wrong idea," she disputed, giving me a seductive look and sway of her hips as she walked up to me. "I was not upset at you creepin' I was disappointed that you were doing it improperly. I mean, you must catch a girl when they're in a revealing position. Cause if you ain't getting a nip slip or a full moon, then you're doing it wrong."

 _If she wasn't dressed so scandalously, it'd be so much easier to deal with this woman._

I was quite confused now. "Alrighty then… I never needed lessons on being a pervert. That's the last profession I'd ever want or need," I told her, with a nervous grin. "I'm just here to look at the area, and not at its inhabitants."

Leiko flashed her eyes wide open for a second."That's a weird fetish…" she mused for a moment. "Anyways, I don't know what you're expecting to find, Mr. Looksalot. This place just has shower heads, knobs, shower heads, tiles, more shower heads, and sometimes water."

 _I could use some water to splash myself out of this fucked up nightmare… but, that won't happen, I just have to accept this terror as reality..._

"I could see as much," I said, my eyes scanning the entire room once more. "I wonder, if this may be one of the few areas where we get some real privacy from Monotokage."

Speak of the devil and thy shall arrive, as Monotokage appeared once more. "Oh, Omezo, you clearly don't know me as well as you'd like," she teased, dissatisfied with my deduction. "Do you really think I'd have that kind of decency? For shame."

I responded with a shrug. "I mean, even Junko respected other's privacy from what I know." I reasoned, remembering what I knew of the first killing game.

Monotokage forcibly crossed her arms."Bah! Another reason she fucking screwed up her killing game," the lizard spat. "I for one, will not allow any blind spots. I have cameras in every single room, covering every inch. I cannot allow anyone to discuss things or pass information without me knowing about it!"

 _Alright, I hereby dub thee, worse than that annoying ass bear and mentally unstable woman. Congratufuckinglations Monotokage and whoever is controlling you… you did good._

Leiko purred. "How devious! Do we get bonus points if we give you a show?" she arched her back with alluring yet innocent look. "Maybe, like real cookies?"

Monotokage shielded her eyes. "Hell no! Seducing me won't work you slut," she insulted, denying Leiko's attempts. "Besides, I won't be watching the entire time anyways, I'll just take occasional glances while listening in."

"I guess that's better than stalking us the whole time," I concluded, then frowning. "Doesn't make it any less uncomfortable though."

"Don't worry, I'll just tell the others that you're packing some real heat! So you don't have to feel self conscious all the time. Gahahahaha~" Monotokage mocked, lashing her tail back and forth.

I was grossed out by that statement to say the least. "But wait… did she mean that in the event that she saw it or did she already did see it…?" I pondered aloud, then I face palmed in realization that I just said that aloud.

 _Crap! I just queued Leiko to make some nonsensically and pervy comments… I really need to keep my mouth shut sometimes._

Leiko gave me a skeptical glance. "And you told me that you weren't a creepo, but here you are, making me think you are packing some heavy luggage!" Leiko grasped her head with both hands as she looked perplexed. "Stop making me feel these conflicting emotions! Kado has done that enough to me already!"

 _Welp, that's my cue to get the hell out of dodge._

* * *

 **-2nd floor main hallway-**

As the doors of the elevator slid open, I was greeted with the sight of a rather wide, but not all that long hallway. It looked about the same as every other normal hallway in this facility. There was a single door on either side, dead center in the wall. The one on the left lead to an infirmary, and the one on the right contained a fencing arena. At the end of the hallway was two double doors, with a large neon sign above it that read "Theatre" in fancy lettering. Kind of a drastic change in scenery from what I've seen so far.

 _So we had some luck after all. There is in fact an infirmary on this floor. Hopefully, that means we won't have to worry about Sozen giving up on us anytime soon._

* * *

 **-Infirmary-**

The Infirmary was nothing short of state of the art. It contained a dozen beds, multiple cabinets filled with various medicines and reagents. There was also numerous scalpels, operating tables, X-ray machines, and stretchers. It was fully equipped to serve as a functional hospital. Sozen was sitting up on one of the beds, discussing something with Kaiya.

 _They don't skimp out on anything huh? Good, we needed something like this._

I decided that I would rather stand idly by as Sozen and Kaiya spoke to one another, as it seemed to be an important debate.

"It is a bit of a gamble, but we cannot allow him to walk around freely," Sozen reasoned. "He has proved to be nothing but a walking hazard for us."

Kaiya nodded in agreement. "I'm with you there, trouble seems to follow him like a man's best friend," she rubbed her shoulder while looking thoughtful. "But, how should we go about this…?"

 _This has to be about Kado. Guess I should be glad that someone is going to deal with him, otherwise, he may usher our group into a catatonic state._

"Apprehending him is the least difficult option," Sozen answered, closing his eyes. "Luckily, whoever designed my room included handcuffs and shackles, so we can use those."

A doubtful expression flew across Kaiya's face. "I don't know, keeping him locked up in a room seems like a safer option," The turquoise haired girl mentioned. "His words are his gadget of choice right? Better to keep him where his words cannot reach anyone's ears."

"I understand that, except, taking away all his freedom doesn't leave us much room for convincing him to cooperate with us," Sozen rationalized. "Plus, one of us could keep a continuous eye on him."

"Oh, so you're interested in taking Isoyo's request on," Kaiya said, seemingly stunned. "I figured you'd just brush it off as impossible"

"You must've missed my words after that trial," Sozen assumed, a serious expression filling his face. "I stated that I'd make my best effort to unify everyone, however, I did not promise. Furthermore, if it turns out to be a hopeless endeavor, than I will take more serious precautions."

"Huh, well, aye aye captain! I can be your assisting deputy!" Kaiya saluted blissfully. "Now then, how will we chain up our not so dear friend?"

"I don't mean to intrude, but, uh... you do know that Kado possesses a weapon?" I asked, feeling concerned. "I feel like it's important to factor that in your little scheme here."

"Omezo! How could you have so little confidence in the ultimate secret agent, and sheriff?" Kaiya queried, sounding offended. "A petty nutjob caught up in his own beliefs couldn't possibly fare well against us, with or without a dagger."

Sozen squeezed his arm. "He has the right to concern," the sheriff stated, sharing my worried. "It's best we don't underestimate Kado's combat prowess. While, he may not possess any training, the chance of him striking back, possibly with lethal force, is there. I don't want to be the result of another death."

Kaiya firmly shook her head, frowning at the stoic man. "Nonsense, Erena's death had nothing to do with you. So, you better stop blaming yourself before it affects your mind negatively," she negated, crossing her arms. "Anyways, I guess a straightforward approach is out of the question then."

"All we need to do is get the jump on him," Sozen planned, tapping his shoulder. "I know the proper way to disarm him before he can do anything once he realizes what's going on."

"Right, and I can keep his attention away via, the use of my patented cupcake distraction technique!" Kaiya volunteered confidently. "It's surely a foolproof plan."

Sozen gave her a skeptical look. "Do you really believe that Kado, a cult leader with malicious intent, and a penchant for manipulation, is going to be distracted by a tiny treat?" he asked, treating the notion as silly.

"Not even a psycho would be capable of resisting the sweet temptation," Kaiya defended, cocking her head to me. "Just ask Omezo!"

"Are you serious?! Why are you comparing me to an insane cult leader?" I exclaimed in bewilderment.

"To be fair, you are one of the more mysterious people here, to us at least," Sozen pointed out, tapping his foot. "We can't exactly knock anything out of the question when it comes to your true intentions."

I rolled my eyes. "I apologize for not being an open book around a bunch of outlandish personalities…" I shook my head and gave them an somewhat honest smile. "I promise that whatever I haven't revealed about myself is nothing to fear. You can count my life on it. Furthermore, everyone has their own skeleton in their closet, so don't hold it against me for keeping a secret or two."

 _It's just a relation I have to someone else that is well known… for not the best reasons, that's all. It's not anything that would make me kill another over._

"I'll take your word for it, for now, however, as soon as I suspect something's off with you. I won't hesitate accosting you about it," Sozen warned, his deep blue eyes boring into mine, before releasing his gaze. "Getting back to business at hand, I'll trust that you, Kaiya, have the right idea when it comes to a distraction. I'm not sure what Kado's ideas are at the moment, so I suppose we'll take our plan into action whenever we see him next tomorrow. Just, keep whatever you need on you at all times, and try to hide your intentions around him."

Kaiya saluted once more. "Gotcha sir! He'll never see it coming," the agent then left the room in a rush.

"I don't think it's the best idea to attempt this capture in your current condition." I tried to recommend, with a concerned expression.

Sozen let out a deep breathe. "I appreciate your concern, but, that's no cause to worry about." he reassured, placing a hand over to wear his wound was.

"How can you be so confident? I doubt whoever patched you up did a good enough job, as no one here has some sort of medical knowledge." I questioned, showing my doubts.

"That just shows that you're not as proficient at reading people as you're with books." Sozen noted, tapping his arm. "Because, Nene does know a thing or two about patching someone up, even as far as to tell me what exactly my injuries were, none of which were serious. Apparently, part of her training involved such things, and she knows the location of all the organs and which ones are vital, or as she put it, "the primary targets."'

I folded my arms across my chest. "Sounds like she's not the traditional fencer you see on TV, since I doubt they need to know where to stab someone to injure or kill them." I mused. "Regardless, it's good to hear that you'll be able to quickly recover, physically at least. Anyways, I'm going to resume my exploration."

"You do that, make sure to watch your back, who knows what may happen next when you're alone." Sozen recommended as he layed back down onto the bed.

 _Way to make me more anxious than I already was. If death wants to come for me, so be it..._

* * *

 **-Fencing arena-**

This room had a bit more of a futuristic tone to it. The most notable thing being the large, square, ring in the center. There was three metal bars guarding each edge, connected by 4 metal posts in every corner. Around the walls were racks of melee weapons, mostly just different variations of rapiers, but there was some others as well. My eye was also drawn to a few human-like robots that were standing in place around the ring, they looked very hi-tech. I am unsure of their use though. One thing's for sure, this room was made specifically for Nene. Speaking of, she and Juro were exploring the area currently.

"Guess our rooms weren't the only thing designed with our talents in mind," I remarked with curiosity.

"I fail to see the utility of an arena in an underground facility," Nene said, expressing uncertainty.

Juro looked dumbfounded at that comment. "What do mean? I think it's pretty damn rad to have a place where you can do what you love," the spiky blonde haired boy declared in admiration. "Would it kill ya' to appreciate what's given to you?

Nene's eyes flitted around the room. "I see no skilled fighters in this room to challenge to a duel to the death," she stated firmly, her displeasure obvious. "This is just a practice room that is worthless to someone of my calibur. Although, it may provide me with mild entertainment, that of which I've been lacking since I've been down here."

Juro walked up to a humanoid robot, that was wielding a rapier. He took a minute to look it over before pressing some unseen button. The machine then activated, it's eyes flashing into a blue hue, as it got into a fighting stance.

"Downloading fighting techniques… … complete, all systems operational," A robotic voice from the machine was heard. "Prepared to duel."

 _Interesting… they even designed robots for her to fight. They definitely wanted to make this place as appealing as they could to us._

"There you fucking go, you asked for someone to fight, and now you have a freakin' robot to take down," Juro remarked, brushing his hands off as if he just did something magical.

"I could imagine that it's a more than worthy opponent, considering the capabilities that robots have," I guessed, rubbing my chin.

"Physically, sure, but a tin can couldn't compare to the satisfaction of fighting and beating a living being," Nene explained, approaching the robot, studying it's face. "There would be no mind games, it will just feel unnatural, not to mention..."

Suddenly, Nene stepped back an inch as the robot quickly jabbed at her with the rapier reaching dangerously to her face, it's tip practically touching her forehead.

"Predictable," the fencer then knocked the robotic arm to the side with a single swipe of her own arm, and followed up by shutting down the bot.

 _Nothing can satisfy this woman… She probably wouldn't even bat an eye if you offered her a billion dollars..._

"If that's so much of a damn problem, then why don't you just duel one of us?" Juro suggested.

Nene blinked rapidly. "Would that interest you...?".

"Hell yeah it would! I've always wanted to learn how to fence and shit," Juro exclaimed enthusiastically. "Who better to learn from other than the smokin hot ultimate fencer herself?"

 _I admire Juro's unbridled determination to steal this ice queen's heart. However, I don't think this'll end the way he wants it to._

"You couldn't possibly put up that much of a fight…" Nene assumed, then crossed her arms while looking away.

"What if I told you I can make you eat those words?" Juro challenged. "And who the fuck cares anyways?! We all need to have some damn fun once in awhile. So, why not dedicate some time to push aside all the bullshit we've been dealing with. We all could lighten up a bit from it."

"Very well, I shall participate in this activity with you," Nene complied, seeming like she was satisfied. "You certainly need to learn a thing or two about true strength."

 _What? Well color me surprised… he got her to listen to him for once._

Juro beat his chest with a single fist. "I'm ready for that, and you know what, Omezo, you'll join us as well!" the soccer player exclaimed, roping me in unwillingly. "The more the merrier."

"Uh… sure, even though it doesn't seem like I have much of a choice…" I said, accepting the unexpected invitation. "I guess it could prove to be amusing and interesting to learn about fencing."

 _I need to stop letting myself get dragged into everything… but it's too late now._

"Tomorrow, seven P.M. Meet me in this arena," Nene informed. "Furthermore, do not make this a waste of my time, so remember to bring your best game with you."

"Don't have to tell me twice, I'll bring my motherfuckin' A-game!" Juro shouted with excitement.

I wasn't as hyped. "As long as you're not expecting some miraculous talent, I can certainly try my damndest to compete,"

 _I'm pretty sure Juro is thinking more along the lines of "Kissmekissmekissme please!" rather than actually having a fun time. Whatever, I'm sure it'll be worth something to go through with this._

Nene scoffed. "The thought never came across my mind that either of you would compare to any of the warriors I've fought," she said, judging by her eyes, she was hiding her first, genuine smile underneath those bandages. "Just be prepared to face true terror in the ring."

* * *

 **-2nd floor main hallway-**

Approaching the theatre doors, I promptly noticed a long, thin hallway off to the right, inside of the right side wall, it sloped up to a door. That piqued my interest, so, I headed up to it, but it had no sign indicating what exactly it lead to. However, it did open up much to my surprise.

* * *

 **-Hallway B-**

I was now in another hallway, that stretched quite a long ways. I could tell that it diverges into a different hallway off to the left at the very end. Close to me on the right side was a door that lead to a dressing room.

 _Oh, I think this is all part of the theatre. All the way in the back must lead backstage… Might as well check out everything here._

* * *

 **-Dressing room-**

Much like any dressing room you'd find in movie sets and the like, this one was just as fancy and high quality. There is makeup booths, standing mirrors, comfy looking chairs to sit on as you get all the makeup and your hairdo done for the show or movie, sinks, tables with a bunch of makeup kits on them, and desk drawers with a mirror on top of them. Arishige was already rummaging around in this room.

"Finally, a place where I feel closer at home," Arishige commented with glee. "It's positively stupendous, there's so much to experiment with in here."

"Good to see that you're back to your usual self after what happened earlier," I said with a slightly amused smile.

His face twinged in embarrassment. "Ergh, don't remind me of that horrendous moment," the effeminate man requested, cooling himself off with a mini fan. "I've never felt so exposed and ashamed in my entire life."

I furrowed my brow. "You say that, but didn't you tell me all about how horrible you looked in the past? Is being bald really worse than that?"

"In my current time, it is." Arishige responded, flicking his cowlick back. "I have built up a foundry in my fabulous image as what you see now, not as a hairless freak. The repercussions are unimaginable if people find out that I'm just a phony of true beauty."

"I think you're just being too harsh on yourself," I said, trying to reason with the cosmetologist. "There's plenty of bald people that are handsome and beautiful."

 _That was sort of a lie… but anything to not upset him._

Arishige offered a cocky smirk. "I know that as well as anyone, I've personally made cosmetics that compliment hairless folks quite well." he bragged, then he rubbed his forehead. "But, as you probably noticed, my overall appearance doesn't compliment my lack of hair. Plus, society tends to appreciate luscious locks more than a shiny naked head. So, I require this wig until I can figure out the secrets to 100 percent natural hair growth."

"That would certainly solve a lot of people's problems,"

"Exactly, that is the next step in cosmetics, and as the ultimate cosmetologist, it is my duty to guide the industry in that direction," Arishige announced, posing proudly while spraying himself with cherry scented perfume. "Rest assured, no matter your genes, you will get to experience the wonders of flowing locks of hair."

I gave him a small smile. "You know what, I'll cheer you on," I informed him. "This is the first time I'll see eye to eye with you,"

He seemed taken aback by that. Yet, he had a merry expression. "How joyous of you to finally understand my plight!" he then frowned. "Unfortunately for you, I've already renounced my advertising nature while we deal with that putrid, scum of a reptile."

"That's alright with me, I'd rather you keep it that way,"

 _I sincerely hope I didn't open the doors to something I did not want arriving..._

* * *

 **-Hallway B-**

As I got closer to another door, I began to hear yelling and loud clunks from the direction the door was in. Naturally, I wanted to figure out exactly who or what was causing all the noise.

 _I dread that this is a murdering that I'm walking into..._

* * *

 **-Prop storage room-**

What I saw was nothing short of astounding. Anzai was wearing what looked like steel-plated armor, a long flowing, and a long dark blue cape. He didn't seem to notice me, so I observed the rest of the room. There was all manners of props and outfits scattered around. Ranging from medieval weaponry, armor, capes, guns, bows, etc. To add to that, wooden crates of various sizes were stacked on metal shelves surrounding the back half of the room.

I watched on as Anzai went about the room, acting out some kind of fight. He was even making the pained screams and grunts for the imaginary enemies he was fighting. He was practically dancing around the room, swinging his sword, bashing with his shield, spinning around, kicking, and even tossing his sword and shield around. After about 20 minutes or so, he stopped, heavily breathing from how worn out he must be.

"Haha! Your guards are nothing more than chumps! Childs play at best," Anzai exclaimed cockily, wiping his face off, then pointing his sword at an armored mannequin wearing a crown. "As for you, I, Sir Sadakuno, knight of Malstav, kingdom of vast knowledge, will present your bloody head to the world, and they will all bow down to there true genius overlord! Now, let's dance!"

He spun around quickly, swinging his sword powerfully, using the momentum to cleave the mannequin's head clean off it's shoulders.

Anzai went over to where the head landed and picked it up with one hand. "As expected, I am triumphant once more!" He exclaimed with gusto, raising the mannequin's head up victoriously. "This moment will be remembered for generati- huh…?"

He then finally noticed me leaning back on the wall.

I began to clap rigorously. "That was a pretty good show I must admit," I complimented, nodding my head contented with what I witnessed.

 _I never thought I'd see such a thing in my life, and boy, was it hilariously entertaining._

He became agitated after he heard that sentence. "Excuse me, what gave you the idea to impede my victorious moment?!" he questioned, stabbing the sword into a crate nearby.

 _I didn't think that weapon was real at first… jeez, aren't props supposed to be fake?_

I shook my head with an amused expression. "You were the one shouting and making a racket, don't blame me for being curious," I teased.

Anzai let out an annoyed grunt. "Aren't you familiar with the saying, curiosity killed the cat?" he cracked his knuckles, giving me a deadly stare, then he just shrugged. "No matter, I won't give you the courtesy of a death by the hands of myself, as I don't wish to dirty my hands with an imbecile's germs. However, I will demand that you never mention this to anyone."

"All you were doing was roleplaying, and doing a fine job at it even," I remarked. "I don't think that ruins your whole "number one genius" image."

 _I'm going to regret saying that aren't I?_

He threw the mannequin head at the wall, nearly hitting me directly in the face."Do not defy my demands! You simply lack the right judgement, and how could I trust someone so far below my level of intellect?" the genius queried, crossing his arms indignantly.

 _I have an idea... here goes nothing, time to put a dent into that ego. Maybe… I need to help unify everyone somehow… for Isoyo._

"When you realize that being intelligent doesn't affect your ability to interact with other human beings," I countered, wrapping a hand around the side of my neck. "Because, you certainly haven't made any good impressions since you've been here, despite your so called superior intellect. This whole roleplaying thing you were doing is the first time I've seen you as human, and I'm sure the others would as well."

Anzai clicked his tongue. "How disingenuous, all of what you said are fallacies, this world only respects top of the line minds! My brain had earned me countless recognition globally, these rewards are not counterfeit treasures after all! And just look at history itself, they only remember outstanding, genius human beings," he clutched his platinum medal, pursing his lips. "All the folks back at home would be disappointed if I stain my image with rudimentary activities such as what you saw."

I nodded my head, but not in agreement. "I see, but why let others keep you from enjoying yourself?" I tilted my head in curiosity. "I guarantee you, that if you just ignore you image, life would be so much better."

"My life is already the best it has been, and I have only my beautiful mind to thank for it," Anzai cockily smirked, he then jabbed a finger at my face. "But, don't think I don't see right through you. This is just your pathetic attempt to worm your way through my barriers so that you can corrupt me with your filth, so that I join you moronic cult. I have already stated that I do not require allies to survive this killing game."

 _That went about as well as I thought, I did nothing but chip away at a brick wall. Fortunately, I am able to gather some information from what he said. That being, he must be feeling pressured by someone or something to be so determined to keep up his reputation, to the point where he doesn't allow himself to enjoy things like roleplaying since it's not what he was told to do…_

"If that's what you want, then be my guest," I shrugged.

He then swapped to his bruiser personality, putting on the sunglasses. "Now outta of ma' sight foo!" the slate haired man grabbed a nearby glock from the top of a table, he held it sideways aiming it at me. "Before I pop a cap in yo' dumbass!"

 _I better listen, because if that sword was real, that gun may be as well. No sense in unnecessarily risking my life._

* * *

 **-Backstage-**

I walked over to the end of the hallway, and as I assumed, it lead backstage to the theatre. It was kind of decrepit looking, with dust particles everywhere. There also wasn't much to look at besides a metal ladder that lead up pretty high.

 _Most likely reaching up to the catwalks that some theatre's have. No sense in not exploring up there._

* * *

 **-Catwalks-**

Boy, it is real dark up hear. I had to take a moment for my eyes to adjust, even then, seeing was still pretty difficult. I could barely make out everything. There was three long metal catwalks, with near chest high railings. One went directly down the center, while the other two were closer to the left and right walls. I also saw what I presumed to be curtains that hung down the walls, but I couldn't tell what the color was. Upon closer inspection in front of me, I saw a figure that resembled Heikichi's, I assume anyways.

"Find anything worthwhile, Heikichi?" I shouted at the shaded figure from the darkness.

The figure swiveled around and approached me. As it got closer, I was able to conclude that it was in fact Heikichi, thankfully.

The hacker began to gesture around the place. "Well, if you look over there, there's some dust. If you draw your attention down here, there's more dust. Above your very head, you will in fact see, dust." Heikichi joked, suddenly, he went wide eyed, turning me to look in a different direction. "Oh! What's that over there, is that… particles that are often referred to as dust!?"

"Thanks for the generous tour, Mr. Sarcastic," I grinned in amusement.

Heikichi adjusted his holographic visor. "You get the idea. The only thing I've succeeded in doing was almost pass out with how stuffy it was when I first came up here," he informed me, waving away all the dust particles, scrunching his nose. "Makes me wish that Norito would have beat me here and cleaned it up."

"If we had actual light, we might be able to spot something…" I commented, looking over the railing. "Meandering about in almost pitch black darkness won't get us anywhere."

 _I also don't feel like possibly plummeting to the floor below._

Heikichi raised a finger. "Luckily for you, there was an unknown function in our handbooks," he whipped out his handbook, tapped on it a few times, and then light erupted from the back of it. "Voila, I have ripped darkness asunder."

I then tried to follow suit, but after fumbling around with my handbook for a few minutes, I decided to give up on trying to figure out where to activate the flashlight. As far as I know, it's not a visible option at all.

"Um… I don't see how to access that function," I admitted, scratching my hair.

He gestured for me to hand my handbook over. "Then hand it over to me, and I'll show you how it's done,"

He pressed on the screen, but it didn't seem to work at all, even though it was in fact powered on. "Hmm, this handbook doesn't seem like it wants to react to my inputs at all…"

I reached over and pressed on the options button, and strangely enough, it responded perfectly. "Yet, it worked for me just then, maybe there's some kind of security implemented…" I stroked my jawline thoughtfully.

Out of nowhere, as usual, Monotokage appeared in front of my face, standing on top of the railing.

"Gah!" I yelped in fear, jumping back a few inches.

 _Fuck, when did this become a horror movie?_

"Yahehehe~ don't jump to high, you might fall off! Although, it would've been entertaining to see you flatten against the ground below. I would then have a pancake to go with my butter." Monotokage licked her lips, looking hungry.

 _That's pretty disgusting to think about..._

"Let me guess, you are going to confirm our suspicions of a security function," I assumed.

"Well, I mostly just wanted to scare the life out of you, literally, but you're correct," Monotokage confirmed. "The handbooks only respond to the fingerprints of their respective owner."

"That does make these things harder to tamper with, smart choice," Heikichi commended with a bit of admiration in his voice.

"Glad you agree," Monotokage said, pleased. "I bet you really want to hack into one of them, so I'll just go ahead and tell you that I don't give a damn. All that's at risk is the owner's privacy, so not my problem. Anyways, I'm gonna bounce."

And bounce she did.

"In that case, I could just hack into yours," Heikichi said, messing around with his wrist device. "I've been itching to really flex my talent since I've been here."

I shook my head. "No, it's fine, I'll figure out how to activate the flashlight on my own," I told him. "So, I'll leave the searching to you,"

"Suit yourself dude," he then turned away to walk further down the catwalk.

 _Alright, just the actual theatre left I believe._

* * *

 **-Theatre-**

The theatre was absolutely massive, and quite the extravagant them to it. The walls had massive, velvety, blue, curtains draped over them, and most of the flooring had a black carpet over it. There was probably hundreds of many matching seats that looked quite relaxing. Each row had exactly 20 seats to them. I was a bit shocked to find that the stage was made of metal though, as well as the floor covering the space between the seats and stage. Maybe, that's because this stage utilizes pyro. I wouldn't know, I've never really been in a theatre this large before. Regardless, this theatre certainly is impressive. I didn't realize till now that the twins were admiring the place as well, up on the stage with me.

"It pleases us greatly that such a grand theatre exists in this underground hell," The twins remarked with pleased expressions.

"Perhaps, we may make use of it." Rikako mused thoughtfully.

"Hmmhmhmhmm~ oh yes, of course we will sis," Shuuyo answered, running her hand along one her sister's ponytails.

"You guys have an idea for some kind of show or something?" I asked curiously.

"Possibly, we would take much enjoyment and pleasure out of putting on a terrifyingly…" Shuuyo started in an off-putting manner.

"Outstanding performance for everyone, what good would it be to leave this wonderful stage to the cobwebs?" Rikako queried, tilting her head to the side lightly, with a smile.

"I'd be lying if I said I'm not intrigued by that idea,"

 _If only to create bonding scenarios for us. Plus, it gives people the chance to take the load off and just relax for a few hours._

"Hmm~ we shall make that idea reality then," Shuuyo said, peering around the theatre.

Rikako leaned a cheek into her palm. "Not before recruiting some of the others, to liven up the show even more,"

Shuuyo leaned close to my right ear. "That said, are you interested in joining us…?" she quietly asked in an eerie voice.

Her sister licked her thumbnail, then trailed a finger around the side of my face, causing me to shudder. "We may have just the place for you in the show…" Rikako whispered in my other ear.

I pushed my way out between them, blushing lightly. "U-uh… sorry, but I'm better off playing the audience role," I tried to dissuade, eager to leave now that things are getting unsettling.

 _I am reminded as to why being alone with them is not the best idea if you fancy clean dreams. Besides, I know that the others would join in with a little convincing. They don't need me, a lowly novelist, to create a spectacle..._

Their expressions softened a bit. "That's too bad… alas, we must plan everything out beforehand," They said with a hint of dissatisfaction. "Then we will bring some much needed thrilling experience in your lives in this dreaded situation."

"I'm sure it will be a soul stealing performance," I remarked, with a half smile.

"There will be nothing less, but, our eyelids are beginning to feel heavy…" Rikako mentioned, rubbing her eyes.

"Therefore, we must rest before our slumber consumes us…" Shuuyo explained, clutching her magenta bow-tie.

"Good idea, it's been a rough day." I agreed.

"Goodnight…" Rikako said, her lips pulling into a fine line.

"Don't let the shadow beast drag you into the depths from beneath the bed." They both said, letting their magenta gaze linger on me as they strolled away, hand in hand. "Hmmhmhmhmhmm~"

That last creepy laugh reverberated throughout the area. Sending a huge chill down my spine.

 _I hope that's not what they plan to tell their children at night, otherwise, it'd be bad parenting, and child serviced will be needed._

* * *

 **-Omezo's room-**

 _There was a lot to comprehend today. I'm not entirely confident in what my future has in store for me… I just can't help but feel frightened after what Monotokage said about revealing our deepest secrets, making thing continuously more torturous… can I really handle it? Do I have the wherewithal to push through? Even then, I worry about everyone else and their thoughts… they must be thinks the same right? Nonetheless, I should get some shut eye, all that walking and talking has worn me out._

* * *

 _ **Monotokage's nonsensical theatre of nonsensical shit**_

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* * *

 **Review responses:**

 _Thanks! Glad you liked the trial that much, since it was my first one that I've ever written. So, it's nice to know that I'm on the right track._

 _Ah yes, Kado and Monotokage are like two peas and a pod when it comes to being trolling bastards, which is why I adore them! It's good to hear that chapter one did what it needed to do, as I was mostly worried about that more than any future chapters._


	11. Chapter 2-2: Cemetery of Stars

**-Omezo's room-**

*knock knock knock*

The sound of banging at the door woke me up in a haze. I let out a tired sigh as I approached the door.

 _I have a distinct feeling that it's Norito behind the door._

Opening the door, I was greeted by a brightly smiling Norito, as expected. "Hey hey, Ace! Hope you got a good night's sleep in after all the rancid events yesterday," he said, rubbing his shoulder.

"Luckily, I managed to relax well enough, free of headaches," I responded, my fingers picking at the corners of my tired eyes. "I presume you are here to remind me of the plans we had developed with Sukey."

"That's right! I have a little something planned for y'all. Come on down with me to the theatre!" the chipper janitor requested, gesturing me to follow him outside.

I offered a half witted smile. "I'll be right there with you, just let me get dressed first. I don't want to look like a bedridden maniac in front of the others."

* * *

 **-Theatre-**

My eyes found themselves on the cleaning supplies that we lying on top of the metallic stage. "Where did you get all of this stuff? It doesn't seem official," I questioned, scratching the back of my neck.

A prideful grin splayed across Norito's face. "That's because it's my own concoction. Those cleaning companies don't quite understand how to give that shining effect with their products. I almost suspect that they are working for the enemy… 99%, cannot trust them!" The cherry haired boy answered with extra ardor.

 _I'm not an expert on chemicals or cleaning supplies, but I'm 99% percent sure there's some scientific reason for things not completely eradicating germs._

"What is it that we will be doing though?" Sukey asked with intrigue laced in with her voice.

"Today's bonding activity will be through assisting, I, the Cleanliness Hero, clean this dusty theatre!" Norito answered, enthusiastically regarding the theatre with open arms. "With teamwork, this will be done in a flash!"

"I sincerely doubt that you needed help in the first place, considering your track record," I remarked, dragging a palm across my forehead.

 _And I honestly don't really feel up for cleaning an entire theatre this huge._

Norito offered an infectious smile. "All heroes could use a sidekick or two! You will be known as Bleachboy, annihilating bacteria one drop of sodium chloride at a time!" he exclaimed, then he turned and dramatically pointed at Sukey. "And you, my sweet girl, shall be dubbed as Lady H2O, washing away scheming grime back to the dirty depths they arose from!"

"I presume these titles respective of our jobs," I predicted, rubbing my jawline.

 _I would object to my new herioc identity, but I have no will to try nor do I expect it to end in my favor with his sheer passion and all._

He bounced a pointed finger at me with a proud expression. "Ah, you got a good head on your shoulders, Bleachboy, very perceptive, you're indeed correct," the heroic janitor said, before swiping up a broom. "You will wipe down everything with bleach, and after I sweep up some dastardly trash, Lady H2O will follow suit with her mop of cleanliness!" He tossed his trusty mop to Sukey, who was able to elegantly catch it mid air with both of her hands.

I let loose an amused puff of air. "He's really getting into the act now," I commented, running my fingers through my hair.

A warm smile spread across Sukey's face. "I don't mind it, it's quite charming," the band director remarked, then she gave me a playful grin as she twirled the mop around in her hands. "But, what are we waiting for, Bleachboy? We have a job to do!"

 _I see that she's raring to go..._

I palmed half of my face with a single hand with a weak smile. "You've also been consumed by this hero charade as well…" I noted in clinical response to her enthusiasm.

Norito placed his hands on his hips, eyeing me down with a judgmental expression. "Is that disinterest I hear?! We can't have none of that! Show me your unadulterated enthusiasm, Bleach Boy!" he demanded with encouragement.

I cleared my throat. "I'm um... ready to kick some some dusty metaphorical ass! I guess..." I exclaimed with as much ardor I could muster while clenching my fist in a heroic-like pose.

 _Not my proudest line. My excuse is that I am just to tired for anything better._

Norito tapped his chin as he soaked in the line, then he lightly shrugged. "Eh, your lines need some work, no matter! Let's get to it!" he commanded, sounding quite excited.

Norito quickly began sweeping the stage with swift and precise strokes, Sukey following behind him with her mopping. I nabbed the bleach, some rags, and a bucket of water, then set out over to the theatre seats. It took me a few minutes before I had wiped down each of the first row seats, making sure to be as thorough as possible.

 _This is going to take forever..._

"Quick! Lady H2O, swing that mop to the right, before that terrible gum solidifies itself!" I heard Norito shout up on the stage, I looked to see him pointing a finger at something on the metal floor of the stage. Sukey looked surprised for a moment as she rushed over to the spot he was pointing towards and began aggressively mopping it.

I resumed my bleaching duties for a while longer, making decent progress. I stopped for a moment of relaxation, wiping some sweat off my brow.

 _Kind of unfair that they get to work together, meanwhile, I'm over here working my ass off on my lonesome._

"Bleachboy! Don't let that sinister stain escape in the shadows on that far left chair, second row!" Norito commanded, his voice booming towards me.

 _Figures..._

I made my way to the chair he informed me about, and sure enough, there was a small, black stain I didn't completely remove on the seat cushion. As more time passed, and I had finished 5 rows of the seats, I began to feel quite weary from the fast work I had been pushing myself to do. I cleared my face of sweat, and stretched my tense limbs. I watched Sukey and Norito sweep and mop the metal floor that was situated between the seats and stage. They looked like a great team as they worked.

"Hurry, pass me that bucket of water! This stubborn muk is resisting my efforts!" Sukey requested, sounding almost worried at the situation.

Norito hopped up over to a bucket of water nearby himself effortlessly. "On the double!" the janitor assured, sliding the bucket straight to her.

 _At least they are seemingly bonding with one another over there. Well, back to slaving away._

Finally, I managed to reach halfway through the 7th and final row, however, a certain stain just wouldn't dissipate no matter how much force I applied when trying to wipe it down with my bleach soaked rag.

 _Just my luck, things have to get more difficult. Better ask Norito what I should do, but I can't forget to stay in act..._

I ran up closer to Norito, heaving out of breath, leaning forwards with my hands on my knees. "I need a plan of action on how to handle this… diabolical stain, as it just won't um... perish!" I informed the janitor, shaking my head.

"Take this ultra scrubber extraordinaire! Combine it with your bleach of justice to create the ultimate stain killer!" Norito exclaimed, throwing me a scrubber with bristles. I thanked him and returned to scrubbing down that stubborn stain.

 _This was way more work than I intended to do this day. I suppose I'm enjoying it somewhat._

After finishing all the rows, and the rest of the carpet, I was left with only one spot I had noticed before.

 _Now how in the what did that get up there?_

I scratched the back of my neck as I stared up at the curtain that covered one of the walls of the theatre. "I'm afraid that I'm way too short to reach that spot up there on the curtain," I told the others.

"Do not fret, we shall stack on one another to reach that worthless scum!" Norito proposed as he and Sukey finished up their jobs. "I'll be our base support, Lady H2O can be the center balance, and you get the top."

"This seems like it won't end well…" I doubted, rubbing the back of my neck. "None of us are Ultimate Cheerleaders you know?"

"Don't lose hope, Bleach Boy! That's what the stain wants you to think! You must show that it's high ground doesn't mean it's over!" Sukey encouraged with an infectious smirk.

 _If I break something on my body, he's paying my medical bill if we get out of here, and while I lay in bed, I want him to give me a dinner-in-bed service pronto._

Norito positioned himself below the dirty spot, I got up onto Sukey's shoulders and then Norito hoisted us up onto his. I was able to reach the spot well enough, and hurriedly wiped it down before we all ultimately lose balance.

Just as I got rid of the stain, I felt Sukey begin to shake and waver. "Ah cra-!" My heart skipped a beat as I yelped in shock once we began to tumble. Luckily, I was able to get a grip on the curtain before falling any further. Sukey wasn't as lucky.

"Agh!" Sukey let out a short scream.

*thud* *splash*

 _Thank god for the strange design choice of wall curtains._

I stole a glance down below to see that Sukey was lying down on her back. She was staring at Norito whom managed to somehow not only spill all the soapy water from a bucket, but the bucket remained on his head as he sat up. He lifted it up enough to reveal his face that was wet with water, and soap bubbles were sliding down his face.

"..." Norito just blinked rapidly as silence took over the room.

"..."

"Ahahahahaahaaha!~" They both suddenly burst out laughing, finding amusement in the event.

"I told you the end result wasn't going to be good," I remarked, still hanging onto the curtain above their heads.

"No worries, I suffered no injuries," Sukey reassured, standing back up on her feet with a wide smile.

Norito stood up and took the bucket off his head. "All I got was a firm soaking, anyways, get down from there, you're not spiderman! You're Bleachboy!" he commanded, still feeling the effects of his previous laughter.

 _Well, I'm beginning to lose my grip anyways._

I did as he said, allowing myself to slid down the curtain down to the floor.

"Alright, so did we get everything?" Sukey asked, re-adjusting her dress that was sliding off her shoulder.

Norito's eyes flitted around the room for a quick overview. "As far as I can see, we- is tha- no. NOOOOOOO!" He dropped to his knees in anguish suddenly.

I furrowed my brow in confusion. "Uh, what are you screaming about?" I queried, giving him a weirded out glance.

He held his face in his palms in defeat. "Ugh, my worst nemesis, the dreaded, fiendish, _Coffee Stain…_ Always crawls back up from hell," the janitor let out an aggravated sigh, he looked at us with a gloomy expression. "Hrgh, looks like it's not over just yet, however, I request that you two leave before things get rough, I need you safe! Don't let my sacrifice be in vain!"

 _Is he serious...!?_

"But, it's just a coffee stain..." I muttered, dumbfounded by this act.

Norito shook his head vehemently, forcibly pointing to the main doors of the theatre. "GO! I beg of you… before it's too late. You don't understand, its strength is immeasurable," he valiantly pleaded, seemingly holding back frustration and tears.

 _Yep, he's 100% serious about this. Guess I can add coffee stains to the list of unlikely ludicrous villains for my next novel that'll never come out._

Sukey pulled me over by the wrist. "Come on, Bleachboy, we must respect our leader's desires," she insisted, clasping her hands over her stomach with a hint of sorrow in her expression.

I ran a hand through my hair. "I'm honestly more conf-" I tried to say, before Sukey silenced me by covering my mouth.

"Shush, I love him too, but we must go before we fall into the clutches of the coffee stain," the multi-colored haired girl instructed.

 _Now the real question is, was that word of love an act? No, love wouldn't bloom at a time like this._

A weak grin played at my lips. "Sure…" I complied as she began pulling me along as she walked towards the doors.

* * *

 **-2nd floor main hallway-**

"Do... do you think he'll make it out okay...?" Sukey asked with half lidded eyes, clasping her hands over her chest while looking downwards.

A laugh tried to escape my throat, but I subdued it. "Sukey, we don't need to keep the act going anymore you know?"

"Yeah, I know, but I was having fun for once. I wanted to savor it for as long as I could," Sukey admitted with a satisfied expression. "We were actually properly harmonizing with one another…"

I gave her a reluctant grin. "I'll admit, I was beginning to enjoy it as well. It was just, really strange. I never thought he'd get into such a serious hero role like that."

 _Minus the whole, scrubbing down each and every individual seat in the theatre, and yeah, it was fun._

"Some people are different when they're in their comfort zone," Sukey said, before pressing the palms of her hands together. "Which is why I hope for something musical related on the next floor, so that I can be at my best when I choose our next bonding activity."

I crossed my arms. "The only way we'll find out what's on the next floor is if someone is killed," I mentioned, frowning.

A look of dejection filled her face. "Don't remind me…"

 _*Bing bong ding dong*_

" **It is now 7:00 A.M. meaning if you aren't already up and about, get you asses up an at em' I want to see some hard killing this time ya hear!"**

 _We actually did all that in thirty minutes, jeez, I worked faster than I thought..._

"We should probably head to the cafeteria, I assume the others want to meet up now," Sukey suggested. "Norito will most likely do the same after he handles that stain."

"Right," I firmly nodded in agreement.

* * *

 **-Cafeteria-**

We arrived just before a certain stoic sheriff did. He looked no worse for wear.

"Sozen! Feeling better already huh?" Kaiya cheerfully greeted the handsome sheriff with a cordial grin.

 _That lucky bastard, he recovered surprisingly fast. This means that Masakado's days are numbered._

He returned the gesture with a amiable expression in response. "Sure am, and I just finished listening to the news of yesterday," he mentioned, with a hint of annoyance in his voice.

I scratched the back of my neck. "You're just learning that? I would've thought Kaiya told you," I commented with a bit of shock.

Kaiya gave a light shrug of her shoulders. "I left that out so that he would rest easy. You know how he is when things get shaky," the secret agent answered, nudging the sheriff with an elbow. The boy's lips simply tightened in reaction.

 _I can imagine that he would have gone buck wild, trying to figure everything out and jumping back into that leadership role._

Juro's eyes narrowed. "Shaky? More like a goddamn earthquake!" the soccer player exclaimed, rolling his eyes. "Freakin' lizards getting lit in the garden…"

"It's clear that it is now imperative that we begin rationing before our food supply thins rapidly," Sozen wisely advised.

"So what, one measly meal a day?" Heikichi inquired with an outstretched palm.

Nene placed a single hand on her rapier. "I'd say, for now, we eat about a quarter of what we normally do," she proposed, then paused for a moment. "Fortunately, there's still a rather generous amount of meat in the freezer."

Sukey looked as if a lightbulb turned on in her head."That reminds me, did anyone check to see if there was any fruits or vegetables in the kitchen?" She questioned, stroking the side of her neck.

Kaiya let a cocky grin flit on her lips. "Done and done, there was some hanging around, except, only a select few, one apple, three strawberries, two eggplants, one peach, one carrot, and two yellow bell peppers," the turquoise haired girl listed, counting each of them off with her finger.

"And not even all of those can be replanted using their seeds," I remarked in minor disappointment.

"R.I.P in peace, vegetables…" Heikichi commented with a careless shrug.

Leiko stuck her tongue out in disgust. "Eh, I never cared for them anyways, they were quite dull." Leiko detested, before returning to a perky attitude. "All I need is my sweets! And I'll have it no other way! Fruits aren't necessary either! Monotokage cannot beat me!"

"Most of your sweets will be null and void without fruits," The twins pointed out with an uneven frown.

Leiko's eyes widened in realization of the truth in the twins' words. "WWWWWWWHHHHHHHHYYYY! Damn you Monotokage! You beat me after all!" the demonologist exclaimed in rage with a raised and clenched fist, then she seemed to fall into a despairing expression. "How am I supposed to live a fruitful life without fruits!? It's even in the name!"

 _A strange reason to be overcome by despair, but to each their own I guess._

"Just wait a few months, and we'll have a lot more fruit, I'm sure we'll be fine by then…" Heikichi remarked sarcastically.

"That's true, unless this place has some kind of super growth mulch, I doubt we'll get anything going that quickly," Sukey mused with a dispirited frown.

"We'll just have to make do, as long as we play it smart, we'll survive long enough to get the hell out of this hellhole," Sozen explained, his stoic demeanor returning.

Anzai scoffed with a callous roll of the eyes. "I expect the majority of you morons to kill each other off anyways," the genius commented, smirking as he adjusted his glasses. "Then there would be no worry for our food supply. As I said before, the smart decision is to cut down the consumers. Eating like a king would be in our future then."

"Not going to happen, yet, I will give you the benefit of the doubt. If things get dire, sacrifices would need to be made. Losing 3 or more lifes is better than all 14," Nene opposed with mutual agreement.

 _That's true, we'd need to cut down the consumption at some point. The best way is to have less mouths to feed… Is there even a proper way of handling this situation? We can survive against all odds, but then we still might have to lose lives along the way or we can just attempt to escape as intended… here I go, back into my pessimistic thoughts..._

"Let us hope that never occurs! Our determence shall pay off, by my decree!" Arishige declared with full confidence and added flair.

"Lumiose has the right idea, with our determination combined, there's just no feasible way for Monotokage to win." Norito agreed, having snuck into the room unnoticed.

Sukey gave him a vivid smile. "Welcome back, I'm glad that you made it out in the end."

"What are you talking about? Did something happen to him?" Kaiya asked, furrowing a single eyebrow.

"I had a dangerous encounter with a coffee stain," Norito explained, tipping his crooked teal cadet hat downwards. "My luck payed out, so here I am now! Worry no more, Bleachboy and Lady H2O!"

 _Why did he have to bring those names up?!_

"Who in the fucking damn are Bleachboy and Lady H2O?" Juro questioned in bewilderment.

"They sound ridiculous," Nene commented in a cold tone.

 _Can't wait for some of the others to bring that stupid nickname up again, Ace is the only one I care for, let that be the main one please._

"Omezo and Sukey's names as my sidekicks," Norito explained, frowning. "An I'd appreciate that you don't insult them."

"Oh, how… cute," Sozen with an unsure grin.

"Ppppplllffff! Hahahahaha!" Leiko busted out in a giggly fit of laughter. "They sound as ludicrous as Sharkboy and Lavagirl."

"Sounds like you three had fun together," Nene presumed, resting a hand on her rapier's handle.

A sigh escaped my throat. "Just don't dig deeper into it."

Soon after I said that, the cordial and lighthearted atmosphere was shattered by the entrance as a certain sinful man entered the room. We quieted down, most of us either staring daggers into him or avoiding eye contact.

He greeted us with open arms, a fake smile on his face. "How delightful to see my good compatriots in high spirits. I can't believe I missed the brimstone flames in the garden, at the very least, seeing the wasteland of ash and lost hopes was amusing," the cult leader lamented in disappointment.

 _This man loves seize every opportunity to sought out rage within us. We'd be better off without him ever souring our lives again. I'd love nothing more but to witness him suffering as he draws a final breath in one of those executions he mocked before._

"Kado, I was wondering if you'd rear your ugly head," Nene remarked with venom in her tone, her grip tightened on her rapier.

His eyes flitted around the room, and he seemed almost shocked by our displeased expressions once he acknowledged them. "You are all so spiteful, aren't we all meant to forgive each other for Isoyo?" the sinister man waved his finger slowly, looking on with dissatisfaction. "Tsk tsk tsk, disrespecting the wishes of the dead is such a terrible action. The poor girl must be writhing in her grave… oh wait, she wasn't given the courtesy of a proper burial. Therefore, she must be a very upset spirit watching over us now, trapped forever even in death."

 _I can't stand that he keeps bringing up Isoyo. I just want to forget what happened to her and Erena… I don't want any tears to return._

"Stop toying around, believe me, I will do whatever is necessary to unify us," Sozen valiantly proclaimed, then he aimed a forceful finger at the cult leader. "Starting with the root of our problems, _you_."

"Hmm~ I am so honored to be graced with such a title!" Kado responded with clearly disingenuous joy.

Kaiya stepped up to Kado, her hands behind her back. "And as all honored people deserve, here's a one of the kind muffin!" she exclaimed with a forced smile as she presented to him a large, deep brown muffin. The smell of it permeated from the delicious looking treat.

 _I know where this is going. If it's anything like that cupcake I missed out on, he's not in for a treat. However, would Kado really fall for such a weird trick? He doesn't strike me as the muffin type._

Leiko gasped. "Whoah! Is that a double dark chocolate muffin with a creamy filling?!" she said, frothing at the mouth as she eyed the muffin.

"Why exactly does _he_ deserve such a delight?" The twins queried with distaste in their voice.

Kado blinked in quick succession before grinning. "Oh, how did you know!? That is my favorite type of muffin," the cult leader remarked, overjoyed by the generous gift. "I remember when my servants delivered me such things, guess I know who my servants are now..."

 _It's like he's playing himself for a fool on purpose, actually, that may be exactly it. At least, I hope it is, he can't be that braindead..._

Kaiya shaked her head in slight annoyance. "Yeah yeah, just take your dang ol muffin," she reached out the chocolate muffin in her hands further to him.

"Gladly," Kado said with a smile. He tried taking the muffin, but his hands passed straight through it. He observed the phenomenon as the muffin fizzed out, revealing it to be a hologram. A perplexed expression filled his face. "Huh!?"

Kaiya grinned mischievously at his reaction. Suspecting that something was up, Kado swiveled around quickly to see that Sozen was right behind him, poised to seize him. Kado swiftly pulled out his ornery dagger and attempted a jab at Sozen, aiming for his neck. Luckily, Sozen was able to stop the attack by strongly gripping Kado's arm, causing the knife to fly out of his hands, then forcibly turning Kado's back to himself and pushing Kado's arm to his lower back. Sozen the arm held it in place as he took hold of the other and had it meet up with the other hand. He quickly cuffed Kado's wrists, and followed up by securing shackles around Kado's ankles, limiting his movement.

Meanwhile, I noticed that Leiko had picked up Kado's knife and pocketed it.

 _She wouldn't do anything devious with that knife, this is Leiko after all. I'll just choose to ignore that she has it for now, so that she may enjoy it for whatever she pleases._

Sozen brushed his hands together with a proud grin. "Problem solved, there will be no more manipulation from you, Kashiwa."

Anzai let out a short laugh as he put on a monocle. "Tut tut tut, such ill-mannered youth deserve nothing less that cold steel around their wrists." he said, mocking Kado's predicament.

"Hmpf, seems I've been foiled again." Kado didn't seem fazed. "But, this is no way to treat your desired friend."

"Nobody was ever going to be your friend dude." Heikichi remarked, scratching underneath his beanie.

 _I'd even go as far as to say no one would even want to be part of his family. He probably would've either pissed them off constantly or used them in some fucked up ritual. Unless, his family is comprised of sinister human beings, which is a possibility._

"Ah, your words pierce my soul like a spear shattering glass." Kado dramatically moped in an act of despondency. "And I really wished to taste that scrumptious looking muffin..."

 _I know the feeling, I got screwed out of a cupcake by Kaiya as well._

"Join the club." I folded my arms. "So, what are you going to do with that bastard?" I asked, regarding Kado with a look of ill will.

"I'll keep watch over him, as there's nothing he can say to worm his way into my mind," Sozen said, closing his eyes. "Furthermore, he will remain immobile as I sleep, I'll most likely leave him tied to to the balcony railing by that time."

"Mind me asked how I'm meant to consume sustenance with my hands behind my back?" Kado questioned in an offended tone. "Do you propose I eat with my toes like an ape?"

 _He brings up a good point, I wouldn't want to risk him starving to death on the off-chance that it counts as a murder. Although, who would that implicate? Sozen for arresting him? Better not to think too hard about it._

Leiko happily rose her hand. "I volunteer to feed our pet demon lord!" she exclaimed. "As you resident demonologist, who better for the job!"

Sozen flicked his head to the side. "As you request," he forcibly pushed Kado towards the demonologist, almost causing him to trip to the ground.

"Ha! feed him like the worthless homunculus he is," Arishige ridiculed with a scornful smirk.

"Oooo, goody!" Leiko clapped her hands together as she grabbed Kado by the arm. She lead him over to a nearby table, playfully skipping as she did.

Kado however, was less than pleased. "I'm not a toy, if you don't play nicely, I'll have your very own arm as my meal," he warned, attempting to wiggle away from Leiko as she sat him down at the table. "This treatment is not befitting for someone of my stature."

She slid a nearby tray of food to herself.

"Now shush, here comes the choo choo train!~" Leiko sung, slowly bringing a fork with a piece of smoked ham towards Kado's lips.

Kado turned his face away from the food. "Tch- save my dignity at the very least," the cult leader attempted to compromise, galled by the situation. "I would never eat with you spouting language used to comfort toddlers."

 _Alright, now that… is downright funny. I'll take Leiko treating him like a baby over torture any day, as it might as well count as a form of torment._

Leiko rolled her eyes. "Fine, grumpy head, here comes the delicious souls of all those who oppose your ruling~" she sung in a more menacing tone, repeating the process with a infectious smile.

"Much more fitting," Kado remarked, accepting the food this time.

Leiko's eyes flitted down to his crotch. "You got something down here though, let me clean that off for you," she mentioned as she wiped more than necessary at his lower region. It was almost as if she was stroking her hands along it.

 _That may be out of hand though. Shows what happens when you leave an overall lusty girl with a fetish for demons to her devices._

Kado kicked himself away from her, moving down the table with as much effort as he could muster."This is absolutely humiliating, allowing the girl who has an undying lust for me toy with me like I'm a sex slave when it should be the other way around," he then looked at Sozen with remorse in his eyes. "I admit it, all the atrocities I've committed are irredeemable, and I deserve a painful punishment. I promise to never be so vile and manipulative. Let us all become well versed in one another so that friendship shall flourish, and we could dethrone our host. Then we can all dance in a field of daisies by the sunset!" he exclaimed in happy-go-lucky tone.

"Nice try, your elaborate lies won't get you anywhere," Sozen denied, not buying Kado's admittance. "You will remain in custody until you can prove that you can cooperate."

Juro was laughing his guts out. "Dude, that is just outright fucking hilarious!"

"I'll bet that he enjoys it anyways," Kaiya commented with a smirk.

 _Well, he didn't try to bite her arm off. So, I'd say he doesn't mind._

"With that over and done with, you can all spread out and about," Nene announced.

We all then left the scene one by one.

* * *

 **-Ultimate dorms 2nd floor-**

The ghastly pale twins slowly opened the door, upon seeing me, they gave me a look of intrigue. "Omezo… for what reason has thine morsel wandered to thy domain?" Shuuyo quired.

"Is something the matter…?" Rikako asked with a hint of concern as her eyes fixated on me.

I ran a hand through my hair with a nervous smile. "Um… no, there's nothing wrong, I just wanted to talk, you know… to pass time, if that's alright with you guys…" I stammered.

They stared at me in silence for a bit, until a thin smile pulled at their pale lips. "Hmhmhmhmm~ you must've been struck with a sudden jolt of bravery…" Shuuyo presumed, not expecting this development.

"Very well, we shall converse with one another and sate your curiosity of our woes," Rikako said, beckoning me into their dark room.

* * *

 **-Rikako and Shuuyo's room-**

The room closely matched the twins' color scheme of deep black and magenta. The magenta seemingly glowing in comparison to the overall dark contrast. Furthermore, the lighting was more in tune to that of a theatre than a normal room, giving it a more showmanship type theme.

I let out the air that I didn't notice as it built up in my throat. "I suppose I'll clear up what has me confused about you two first," I said, fixating my pale blue eyes on the two identical girls. "Why are you recognized as the Ultimate Twins, despite the fact that it's not necessarily a talent per say?"

"Do you know of any other human beings that are able to synchronize every single movement and word with another for the rest of their fickle lives?" the twins asked.

I furrowed my brow in thought. "Uh…" I pulled at my scarf in nervousness. "Not that I know of, but it's not like I have been searching at all."

Rikako slowly closed her eyes. "Whether you had been or not, the truth is that there is no pair quite like us..." the bat-winged girl said.

Shuuyo took up her sisters hand. "We are the exact same person, with the exact same personality…" the angel-winged girl stated with dignity.

"The exact same thoughts…" They chanted on, a neutral expression on their faces as their magenta eyes creepily bored into mine.

"The exact same history…"

"The exact same appearance, inside and out…"

"The exact same likes and dislikes…"

I began to feel unsettled by their repetitive words in that haunting voice they create and their constant, unwavering, unblinking gaze.

"The exact same hobbies…"

"We say the same, are the same…" they paused momentarily to finally blink once. "A near unreal, supernatural, psychological connection with each other has been created. Furthermore, we are performers at heart, showing off our pure synchronization with one another to the world; moreover, we've participated as actresses for some movies, mostly of the horror genre."

"That is what defines Shuuyo the estranged archangel!" Shuuyo proclaimed, posing with her right leg out and her left hand to her heart.

"And Rikako, the dastardly demon!" Rikako exclaimed, posing with her arms crossed, her left hand holding her fingers out straight, and her right hand with her fingers curling.

"As the Ultimate Twins," they finished, topping their spiel off with a light curtsy.

"When you lay it out in such a glorified way like that, I certainly see why you deserve that title," I remarked in understanding, following up with a look of doubt. "But, if there's one thing I know, it's that you can't be completely identical on every single front, since fingerprints are scientifically proven to never the same, no matter the case."

 _Unless you chemically burn them off of course._

"What's impossible stays impossible. Such a minuscule imbalance such as that will never impede our interchangeable relation," the sisters said, asserting their claim.

I bit the inside of my cheek as I took in their statement. "Was there ever a time where you two weren't like this? I can't imagine you came into existence with this mindset."

They both gave a solemn nod. "Indeed, there was, and it was a time of uncertainty and dejection that we wish to keep in the shadows," the girls responded in a dismal tone, a quick flash of sadness passed in their now dull expression.

"So, I take it that you haven't considered separating once?"

Their eyes narrowed in response. "Such an aberrant action would never occur, we are forever entwined and we'd never have it any other way," the twins affirmed, stroking each other's hair with grace, smiling. "We live and die together, because we are nothing without our other half."

I felt a sweat droptet form on my forehead. "Right, um… sorry if that offended you in any way," I said, shivering a bit with a nervous smile.

"Hmhmhmhmhmm~ Your incessant curiosity will be the end of you if you're not careful, however, all is forgiven..." Shuuyo forewarned with a steely gaze.

"Alas, it is time for Shuuyo empty her bowels…" Rikako informed.

 _You could just say that you have to go into the bathroom or whatever. Normal just isn't in their nature I guess. However, What Rikako just said leads me to think they don't do everything together._

"You… you don't actually go to the bathroom together?" I asked, raising a single eyebrow. "What happened to all the talk about doing the exact same things?"

"Acts like that can be seen as taboo, and we do not want anyone assuming the worst again. Lest we risk our image," they explained, shuuyo gently took up her sister's pale hand and delicately stroked the back of it. "Although, we are aware of the fact that some may see it that way regardless…"

My expression grew uneasy as I witnessed their actions. "Makes sense, a lot of people jump tend to jump to the worst conclusion and then overblow it without real evidence," I remarked. "I'm not like that though, I believe your love for each other is of the family type."

"And you should never think otherwise or we will have to silence you permanently," they advised, placing a delicate finger over their lips as they thinly smiled.

Shuuyo then sauntered into the bathroom, leaving me alone with her sister, Rikako. We stood quietly as we waited. I felt a chill run through the ever so silent room and then down my spine.

Not able to stand the eerie atmosphere, I decided to break the silence. "Do you seriously never consider being your own person?" I asked, turning my attention to Rikako. "Trying to act like your sister every single second must be taxing. One of the first lessons you learn is to be yourself, is that something you just tossed out the window, the thought never to brush your mind again?"

Rikako's eyes shifted slightly. "What is there to identifying as your very own?" she questioned with an unsure expression. "The thought fills us with nothing more than uneasiness…"

 _I don't entirely know why, but when I see her alone like this, with that blank look of hers, I can't help but be reminded of me in the past. I don't get why my heart wants to reach out to her like this. I just have to say something, tell her what's on my mind._

"I used to hate not knowing who I should be and what to do, without a sense of self-identity, I didn't value my future," I explained, resting a hand on my neck, trying to recall the times of my childhood. "I was only following what my father told me. Luckily, I managed to grasp some kind of personalization on the way, and life was improved overall. Recently, I broke away from him, and started to take control over my own life. There is just so much more of yourself to appreciate when you are not constantly letting someone dictate who you are or not knowing what to do,"

She seemed conflicted for a second as she took in my story. "Why…?" the lonely twin murmured, not understanding my words. "Why have we felt satisfied with ourselves then? You talk of depression without a sense of identity, but we have an identity, a shared one, the times before are synonymous with with that of which you have stated."

 _By that reaction, I can tell I was right to suspect doubt within her. It may not be that strong, but it's clearly there. I probably won't be capable of drawing it out of her., regardless, this aching feeling won't falter until I at least try._

I gave her a sympathetic look. "You may feel comfortable now, but many more paths open up when you can make your very own decisions. You'll never guess how great it is just to say "I" for once."

Her pupils seemed to shake, before she shook her head clear, regaining her composure. "We should stop speaking about such things, sis wouldn't approve of you filling my head with fallacious ideologies."

I smiled lightly, understanding her reluctance. "As you wish, however, I implore you to mull it over whenever you feel conflicted about what you are doing. _You_ don't need to be who you are not."

 _Maybe those words will encourage her in the future, I can only hope. No one should have to live by the rules of another, family or not._

"..."

 _Silence speaks louder than words, so, I'm confident she's considered my advice._

* * *

 **-Theatre-**

I found myself wanting to visit the theatre, just to see who's there at the moment. Maybe, I could strike up an interesting conversation to pass time.

"Huh, upon closer examination, the design of this theatre makes much more sense," Heikichi mused, tapping his chin as his eyes flitted around the expansive theatre.

"I'm not exactly understanding what you're getting at..." I commented, scratching the back of my neck.

"Well, as you cannot clearly see, there is multitudes of wiring hidden underneath the floor and behind the walls. Furthermore, they all lead up to the catwalks, connected to a control station for stage pyro," he explained, looking up at the catwalk, holding his visor steady.

"Huh, that explains the metal stage, and the space between the front row seats. Far from a traditional theatre indeed," I reflected, rubbing my raw. "Though, since when did you gain X-ray vision?"

 _I haven't been exposed to much high-end technology, so I may just sound like an idiot asking that._

"It's not exactly X-ray vision that I was using," he corrected, raising a finger. "I guess you deserve an explanation anyways. You see, this holographic visor is not just a fashion statement, it serves many other functions. Such as, allowing me to see any and all types of technology behind anything, other than a few types of material, those being the same ones that stop X-ray vision. Additionally, it also has night vision, heat vision, and X-ray vision. Sadly, can't see through walls like Superman, technology can only go so far, it'd be OP anyways."

"I had a feeling that visor served other uses," I remarked, before raising a brow. "Where'd you even get your hands on something so advanced?"

"You're looking at him," Heikichi boasted with a smirk.

"Really?" I pondered, my intrigue growing. "You made that visor by hand?"

"Precisely, my very own two hands crafted this nifty tool, as well as my hacking device," he said. "I call it widget."

"That is rather impressive, I never took you as the inventive type." I commended, admiring the skillful creativity of his craftsmanship.

 _It must've taken quite the long time to fit all the features in with nothing but his own mind and effort. He has some real dedication to his talent._

"Yeah dude, technology is my bread and butter. I've always enjoyed making homemade computers, slapping motherboards, batteries, etc, together and seeing what I can come up with," he said. "As you can see, My skill grew quite impeccable, not that I'm bragging or anything. There are plenty of other inventors out there that have me beat. That hobby really only started my interest in hacking."

"Did it also start your binary code speech?"

"I'm gonna be real with you, I'm not actually speaking binary when I blurt out all those 0's and 1's. Robots would think I'm a lunatic hyped up on cocaine and heroin if they heard my binary code. It was just a thing I started with my old friends back in the day so that we had a way of talking without people eavesdropping," he explained, reminiscing at the fond memories.

I squinted one of my eyes."So… they do mean something, but aren't the real deal?" I asked, a bit confused.

 _It's binary code that means something, yet, it's also binary code that doesn't mean what it should… If I were to create my own language, sticking to actual words would be much more preferred, like, "profondo" would mean hello and "Ashnoz" means asshole._

"That's the gist of it, 00110001 001010. What I just said there does in fact translate to a sentence. Except, I won't do it for you," he replied with a lopsided smirk.

I palmed my forehead. "How the hell would I ever be able to figure it out without you teaching me?" I questioned, with a hint of frustration that I'd most likely never know what he said.

He gave an indignant shrug. "Maybe I will, I don't know," he said, shaking his head before offering a cheesy grin. "It's not like it's important. For all you know, I just told you that I thought your breath smells like potatoes wedged between salty ass cheeks."

 _I can almost smell what he just described, and it's foul._

I twinged in disgust at his description. "Did you have to make it that nasty?"

He punched me on the arm in a teasing manner. "I was just joshing ya, don't take it seriously." the hacker said with a friendly smile.

I rubbed my arm where his fist connected. "Sure... " I replied with uncertainty. "You mentioned some old friends, are those the same ones you spoke of a few days ago?"

His expression turn serious, narrowing his eyes slightly. "Yes, and my desire to explain anything about them remains at zero percent." he coldy answered, crossing his arms.

"I understand," I remarked, acknowledging his hesitance. "Some things should remain in the past, I don't want to bring up any bad memories."

He paused for a second and shook his head. "Don't get me wrong, they aren't bad memories," he clarified. "Anywho, I'm itching to experiment with the pyro in here, so seeya!" He gave me a small wave as he headed off to the entrance to the back of the stage.

"Later."

 _Why does he wish to hide anything about his friends if it isn't bad memories? Did he do reprehensible things with them or something? If that's the case, then we may be hearing about it eventually from Monotokage once she hands us another secret._

* * *

 **-Lounge-**

As soon as Kaiya noticed me, a pleased smile grew upon her face. "Ah, Omezo, just in time to assist me in my search for a secret pathway!" her face lighting up with pure determination.

"Didn't... we already go over this room?" I pondered, stroking my jawline.

"Kado stopped us short with his annoying desire to piss us off. So, I want to make a thorough check this time," she clarified, clearing me of my confusion.

 _And I thought I could stand him then. He's only gotten worse, as if his character development was put into reverse until he drives himself and the rest of us into insanity._

I lightly shrugged my shoulders. "I guess I have nothing better to do."

Me and Kaiya began searching left, right, and center. I didn't try nearly as hard as the nosy secret agent did, as she essentially tore the lounge apart, checking every single nook and cranny. By the time we gave up, the room looked as if a tornado rampaged throughout the place.

 _Norito is going to have fun cleaning this mess. At least, he actually enjoys it, so I don't need to feel guilty or anything._

Kaiya rapidly tapped her foot with a thoughtful expression. "Nothing... I could have sworn something was off in here…" she let out a grunt of frustration. "There just has to be some kind of hidden entrance to a secret room, every facility has one, just like the agency I worked for."

"Not everything has to have some concealed secret," I reasoned with a weak grin.

Kaiya clicked her tongue in defeat. "I know… it just goes against my inner instincts to assume otherwise."

"If you don't mind me asking, who do you even work for?"

She leaned her hips to one side, placing a single hand on them. "You sure like asking the big questions." she remarked, finding my curiosity amusing. "Not that I care, I already told everyone my talent, and true identity, so why not disclose the name of my agency? Ahem, they're aptly named the "Azure Syndicate" stationed far and away from public eye of course, the main HQ being located inside a dormant volcano."

 _Yeah, just build your HQ in a prime location where things can go awry in a sudden explosion of lava, whoever came up with that must be the Gandhi of our time._

My eyes widened in surprise. "That seems… ludicrous, to have your HQ in a volcano, dead or not, I doubt it's the best idea to have it in such a precarious location," I pointed out, perplexed by the strange decision.

"It's whatevs, secret agents in general are ridiculous, besides, all secret organizations, evil or not, need a prime way to eliminate them in a glorious and over-the-top fashion, otherwise, it would be a disgrace!" She defended passionately.

I looked at her in astonishment. "You're just treating life like it's a cheesy action movie," I remarked with an amused grin.

"Duh, what's not to love about that?!" she exclaimed, ignorant of the absurdity. "Moving on, the Azure Syndicate had exactly 200 members, me being the top of the line of course. That is, if I still worked for them."

"Way to oust your old company like that by telling me every detail," I judged in a firm tone.

"They're probably not doing too well with the tragedy and all, so I doubt it'll matter when most of them die off," the secret agent said, justifying her straightforwardness.

I was taken aback by her rather dark reasoning. "That's… uh… as good a point as any I suppose…"

 _Kind of bizarre to assume nobody would be alive in your company that you worked for, and probably stuck with for a very long time. I know the Tragedy has resulted in numerous deaths, but you'd think people would be more prepared this time around. That's one of the reasons why I chose to avoid attending Hope's Peak Academy when I was invited. Didn't want to risk my entire life just to further bury myself in this talent I only wanted as a hobby._

"I still have them to thank for many exciting memories though!" the now gleeful girl pulled out her wallet, and slid out a small picture. "Like this one!"

She presented me the photo. Kaiya was strapped down to some kind of chair, similar to one you'd see at the dentist. For whatever reason, she had a cocky expression plastered on her face. She couldn't have taken the picture herself in that situation, which was strange to me. Furthermore, my eyes scanned the background to see a table with many objects on it, such as whips, knives, hammers, tweezers, shears, etc. Additionally, I could see a hot poker resting nearby on the floor, plus a tote of water. It most certainly looked like some type of torture room.

"Are you in a torture room in that photo...?" I questioned, as I struggled to grasp how and why she has a photo like this.

 _If she's there, then who's holding the camera? I don't see why you'd even want a picture of time you were in distress._

"Yup, every agent eventually gets captured one way or another by their rivals," Kaiya replied in an unnaturally cheerful tone given the question.

"But… um... how did you manage to get a picture of that while you were strapped down, and why?"

She wildly smirked in a proud gesture. "I had my torturer do it! He seemed to have a fetish for pain, so I told him that it would last longer if he took a snapshot of me in anguish, which of course, resulted in him being blinded by a flash of light, courtesy of a secret function in my hi-tech cellular device! It allowed me to break free, and give him a big ole whooping!" she said, shadowboxing to imitate how she fought him. "Oh, and the reason I like taking pictures such as those, is for the memories you know? That way, I'll always have something to reminisce in when I feel like it."

I shook my head with a slightly entertained expression. "I presume the entirety of your wallet is a history book of your adventures then?"

She nodded, confirming my assumption. "For sure, just about everything is a relic of my past, believe or not, this first place badge for a ice cream eating contest is real. I actually had to participate in that to assassinate a target via, making him die of a severe brain freeze," the secret agent explained, a sly smile forming upon her face.

"Your life sure has been extremely eventful… I could hardly compare." I remarked, scratching the back of my neck.

She offered me a proud glance. "Ohohoho, you've barely heard half of it!" a lopsided grin fitted to her face. "I've also survived a cargo plane crash on the side of a steep, snowy mountain, while trying to infiltrate a secret radio base. I leapt off just in time with a parachute near moments away from getting obliterated, only to end up having to snowboard away on a piece of debris from the following avalanche of plane parts and snow. Then, I was able to ramp of a slanted rock directly through a window of the base, which was then followed up by me shooting down 4 enemy soldiers. Nothing like a mission impossible to get your blood flowing! Here's a photo to shed any doubts!"

She showed me another photo, this time one that depicted her snowboarding down a mountain with a bunch of snow and debris trailing not too far behind her. Again, she looked shockingly jubilant in the scene.

"Well then, shit! That's literally something I thought I'd only see in movies…" I praised, absolutely astounded. "You are something else, Kaiya. I think you're quite amazing. I kinda wish I had even a shred of your exciting life in mine."

A pleasant smile flitted to her lips. "Aw, shucks! Normally, people just say that I'm batshit insane, but, yeah, unfortunately, we can't all be crazy secret agents," she said, expressing her gratitude, her eyes fixated on me as she tapped her chin in thought. "Maybe, I could give you that shred sometime while we are down here, just to possibly brighten your experience with something worth remembering between all the dread and sadness."

"I would appreciate that," I faintly smiled. "Well, I'm going to get going now, later."

"Buh bye!" she cheerfully waved me off as I left the room.

 _I figured secret agents would have a more exciting life, but I did not think Kaiya's was that extraordinary, to the point where it seems… overwhelmingly eventful. I can't imagine having to be in life or death situations 24/7, as I can hardly handle this killing game, which is about the same risk wise. Except, I can't just quit it like it's a job, that's not an option._

* * *

 **-Dressing room-**

I entered to witness Leiko relaxing on a chair, brushing her scaly, icey blue tail's fluffy, white mane with a red comb.

She turned her head to me, hearing the door open. "Lookie here, if it isn't Lord Huej Dick!" the demonologist exclaimed in a teasing manner.

 _That was a terrible attempt at a play on words. It doesn't even sound like it'd ever be a real name. Regardless, not like Leiko of all people would be capable of coming up with anything clever._

"Is it too much to ask for a normal conversation with you?"

Leiko placed the red comb onto the desk she was sitting at. She then crossed her legs, putting a finger on the bridge of her nose. "Hmmmm…" the ice armored girl pondered, before a smirk played at her lips. "Leiko grants your request! However, you must allow me to start the subject."

I sat down in a chair close to her. "Fine by me," I told her, motioning her to go ahead. "Just avoid making it personal."

 _Now that I said that, she will most likely make it personal. Instant regret is an amazing feeling._

A maniacal grin splayed across her face. "Don't worry, it'll be nothing personal, kid, as today's subject is shipping!" she exclaimed with joy, throwing her hands up in excitement.

I found myself face-palming while leaning on the desk. "Oh greeeaaat…" I lamented, regretting my decision to allow her freedom of choice.

 _I'm being dragged back into my glorious days of fanfiction..._

She wagged a finger that boasted a sharp, black fingernail. "You avoided it last time, but there's no escape this time!" the perky girl asserted, pointing at me with a diabolical glare. "I will begin by listing my main ships, SonDam, ClouRoth, and PheoIles. Crackship is SquaLos."

 _If I'm not mistaken, all those ships involve at least one demon or demon-like character._

"I'm not the type of person who creates or supports ships. So, I don't have anything to share," I informed her, averting my gaze.

She let out a sigh of disappointment. "Oh for the love of Satan! Jeez, you are such a lame-o, not only do you hate fanfictions, but you ignore shipping…" she moaned, sounding like she was in disbelief.

"For your information, I don't hate fanfictions, as I actually started my writing hobby by writing one for Dragon Ball Z, where Goku was an unforgiving hero, and a few others. They are now currently the most popular, and well-regarded fanfiction in existence. Not to say that I'm the only one who has made outstanding fanfics, I've seen a few diamonds in the rough. So, I'm not dissing them. As for shipping, romance just is not my thing." I clarified with an honest look.

She tapped her lips in thought. "Now that I remember, I had read your fanfics actually, you wrote some really tasty smut!" the busty babe said, leaning closer to me with her tongue stuck out playfully.

 _Of course, she remembers only the raunchy scenes, or as they are called in that community, "lemons." Thinking back on it, why is that the word used when lemons are known to be sour, and I don't think people consider sex to be in sour taste. Mango would fit better as they are much more sweet and desirable._

I buried my face in my golden scarf as I felt heat rush to it. "U-uh, l-let's not talk about that…" I stammered, my eyes accidentally stealing a glance of her prodigious bust.

"Oh come on, it was the least cringy sex scenes of all fan-fictions, you have an penchant for foreplay. Tehehehee~" she coaxed with an infectious smile.

I regained my composure. "Look, I appreciate the compliment, but drop the subject please," I requested in a serious tone.

She rolled her sky blue eyes in annoyance. "Fiiiiinne, whiny buttmunchkin…" she pouted, crossing her arms indignantly. "How about I show you my superior shipping skills then!"

I furrowed my brow. "You already told me your pairings didn't you?"

"I meant, I would tell you who I ship you with! Then, in the future, you'll learn that I was right in who your proper partner is!" she exclaimed mischievously.

"I thought you were the ultimate demonologist, not love guru…" I let out a aired out sigh. "Whatever, go for it I guess."

"Omezo x Rikako, Rikezo's the name, that's who I believe is the best for you!" the demonologist stated with much pride in herself.

I reeled my head back, dumbfounded. "E-excuse me…? Rikako is one of the last people I expected, that's including the males."

"Why not? She's alluring, mystical, seemingly intelligent, and can scare the hell out of your enemies!" She reasoned. "Sure, she doesn't have big honkeroos, but she's got quite the badonkadonk! Thick as fuck!"

I was as red as a tomato at this point. "Um… w-well, u-hh… you're not… wron- never mind…" I stammered in embarrassment, sweating a bit as I began fidgeting with my scarf. "Why even her when her sister is the same?"

 _Was she eavesdropping on my conversation with Rikako earlier or something? That's the only reason I can assume she's predicting her to be my romantic partner. Not that I dislike Rikako, I just don't believe I stand a chance with her._

"Rikako has demon wings, which are a plus one in the sexiness factor!" she exclaimed effortlessly, with a teasing smile. "But, threesomes are always nice too."

 _And with that, I must end this subject before it gets out of hand._

I ran a hand through my hair. "Could we just talk about demonology, you know, your actual talent?" I asked, attempting to change the subject to something more comfortable.

"You must think I'm a pathetic excuse for a demonologist since my signatures are all phony…" Her expression turned to that of dejection.

I frowned slightly. "I wasn't going to mention that, because I don't think any less of you. To be honest, I don't even know why it matters so much to you. I assumed it was related to the same reason people want signatures from famous figures."

"Demons are my idols, but it's also for proof of my meetings with them, considering none of them show up on pictures or videos."

"So what if you haven't met one? I imagine you have vast knowledge of all things demon. Otherwise, you couldn't be the Ultimate Demonologist." I remarked.

"I have met real demons though! I just couldn't convince them to gift me their signatures," her lips pursed as she stared daggers into me. "The fact that you assumed otherwise proves my plight!"

I raised my hands up defensively. "T-that's not what I meant, I was just saying that you never needed to prove that to anyone to be who you are now. Even if it does seem absolutely ridiculous when you say that you've met actual demons, I would take your word for it," I said, trying to reassure her.

She looked away from me and harrumphed. "I don't buy it, I can see the deceit in your eyes, it's reminiscent that of a nefarious imp," icy blue haired girl accused. "I bet you just laugh at my nonsense in your thoughts… we're done talking mister! Shoo fly!" She angrily gestured for me to leave, to that of which I obeyed.

 _She's way too quick to assume things. It wouldn't make sense to me if people stripped her of her title all because of a few signatures being fake. Then again, I hardly know of her reason for the talent, so maybe I'm wrong about that. Guess I'll just have to muster up the courage to try a one on one conversation with that lunatic girl._

* * *

 **-Fencing arena-**

I met up with Nene and Juro at the side of the ring.

"Before we charge headlong into duel, you two must learn at least the basics, so that you may have a minuscule chance rather than none at all," Nene briefed, she motioned over to a rack of rapiers. "Direct your attention to the weapon rack over there. Choose whichever rapier appeals to you the most, and then meet me in the training section in the back."

"Does it matter which one we pick?" I asked, stroking my jawline. "There's no skill levels for each of them or anything?"

"Not necessarily, rapiers all function just about the same, the main differences are only the length of the blade, style of hilt, and sometimes the width and sharpness of the the blade's edges," Nene answered. "The estoc, for example. Is capable of slashing and poking, while being almost as light as a rapier. However, I personally don't classify it as a rapier, it's also more of a jack of all trades weapon, as it specializes in neither poking nor slashing."

 _Now that she mentioned it, I can tell that all the rapiers on the rack look essentially the same, with just minor details being different, such as some having a cup hilt._

Juro's eyes flitted to a rapier that had a interesting, and intricate design to it's hilt. "Yooo! This one looks cool as fuck!" he took the weapon off the rack and performed a few amateurish attacks with it. I made distance between myself and him in reaction.

 _This man needs to take a chill pill, swinging that weapon around like a madman when I was nearby._

Nene gave him a judgmental look as she folded her arms. "I would advise playing with it as if it were a toy. As amusing as it may be, we don't want anyone's eyes getting penetrated from your lack of self control."

"Wait, uh… shouldn't we be using the actual fencing rapiers, not the real deal?" I sensibly questioned with an unsure expression. "I don't want any unfortunate accidents to occur, and lose two people for it."

"The only way to properly learn, is to know the dangers. Working under such pressure encourages you to strive to succeed, allowing for faster improvement," Nene reasoned. "The epee, fencing rapier, while dangerous in their own right, do not offer the same satisfying experience as proper rapiers."

 _I mean, that makes sense. However, when we are in the midst of a killing game, taking risks like that would result in nothing but bad news._

"I get that you probably learned it the hard way, but let's not get too hasty," I remarked, shaking my head.

Juro held out a long shrug. "It's not like we are aiming to stab the hell out of each other, right…?" the spikey blonde mused. "Even though, I think I'd have a shit ton more fun that way."

"As we duel, the goal will be to bring your opponent down to surrender. Depending on who we are fighting, the rules may change," Nene informed in a firm manner. "If you truly wish to thrust your sword into your opponent, then we will take the necessary precautions, such as wearing the suit and using the epee."

A dumb grin found its way onto Juro's face. "Hah, well, you know I would absolutely love thrusting my sword into you," he remarked in a provocative tone, looking at Nene with a coquettish expression. "And I can handle a puncture wound or two."

 _There he goes, with the coquettish talk… and he even acknowledged his masochism..._

I pinched the bridge of my nose. "Could we just get to the training lessons please?" I requested, picking up one of the rapiers that had a cup hilt. "I've picked my rapier of choice."

"Come on back then," Nene demanded as she walked towards the training section.

"We shall begin with developing the correct standard combat stance," Nene said as she got into a stance where she kept an upright posture, knees slightly bent, had her side face the training dummy in front of her, and her rapier at the ready. "Try imitating mine."

"Should be hella easy, the only thing I can't replicate is the gorgeousness that I see," Juro commented with a smug look. "I just don't got the hips for it, you know?"

Me and Juro then tried to replicate Nene's combat stance. The fencer closely studied us for a moment, then she approached Juro. She forcibly adjusted his positioning and posture.

Juro looked shocked after she did that. "H-hey! Why the hell are you getting so handsy?" the soccer player asked with a hint of annoyance, then he offered a lopsided smirk. "Not that I have a problem…"

"Your posture was dreadfully lacking, in more ways than what nonsense you mentioned," Nene stated firmly. She looked over at me, scanning my figure. "Omezo, on the other hand, you have it impressively near perfect. You just need let your muscles be a little more lax. Since, keeping such an uncomfortably tight posture would negatively affect your mobility. While letting yourself to relax boosts your reaction speed towards any incoming strikes."

 _Huh, I suppose I'm not as bad as I thought. Well, it is just a neutral combat stance. I shouldn't get that proud over it._

"Mind me asking why it's necessary to keep your body turned at a 90 degree angle?" I asked, rubbing my jawline.

"That's what I'm saying. I'm not the best at walking like a goddamn crab." Juro complained as he attempted moving around, ultimately resulting in him looking like an idiot trying not to step on hot coals.

"It's a technique that all fencers gain, the competent ones anyways, that drastically improves your striking and dodging 'll find that leaning backwards and forwards is much easier to do in that stance," Nene explained firmly. "Furthermore, with the way rapiers are designed, having your body face your opponent like you're used to will only make you look idiotic whenever you try to attack or dodge."

I stood in a normal stance, testing how dodging and striking felt like. Suffice to say, it felt quite awkward.

"I see what you mean, this both looks and feels ridiculous," I remarked, pondering for a second. "But, you can't possibly expect us to be able to dodge anything. I'm imagining myself just getting pummeled. Is there any way I can just block?

"These weapons are not meant for blocking, however, they are quite efficient at parrying. I will show you examples of what that looks like in the ring," Nene affirmed, easing me of my uncertainty. "So, do not fret about your lack of agility."

 _For someone who's usually distant and cold, she is a very good teacher. I was more or less expecting her to be ruthless when we did anything wrong._

"Hell, I can dodge a fuckin' baseball going like 77 miles per damn hour, I bet I'll be able to dance around a pointy stick welding babe!" Juro exclaimed contentedly.

Nene's eyes narrowing slightly. "Would that confidence persevere if I told you my strikes are equal to that of a bullet fired from a rifle?" the fencer questioned in a smug tone of voice.

"I doubt that's actually true. A speed like that is inhuman." I remarked with a skeptical look.

"Correct, however, my strikes are as quick as humanly possible," Nene boasted, she placed a hand on her side. "I would recommend that you choose to never underestimate my abilities."

Juro scratched his head. "Heh, well, I wasn't fuckin' doubting your skills, I just have a shit ton of confidence is all," he said, offering a modest expression. "Can you blame a guy for holding his pride high?"

 _No, but you can blame a guy for being a complete moron._

"I can respect that kind of confidence, but you must have a few screws loose to think you stand a chance against me," Nene affronted, bashing his self-esteem. "Moving on. While we are on the concept of striking, why don't I show you an example."

She situated herself in front of one of the training dummies, and performed a swift jab with her rapier that was held in her left hand into the dummy's head. The speed was unimaginable, so much so that you might have missed it with a single blink of the eyes.

"Alrighty then, I can give you benefit of the doubt, your strikes are certainly exceedingly quick," I commenced with nods of approval.

"Hot damn that was like a lightning bolt!" Juro exclaimed in awe.

"I appreciate the praise, but I haven't shown half of what I can do," Nene remarked in a complacent manner.

I raised a finger to get attention. "I have a concern…" I began, scratching the back of my neck. "Am I not at a disadvantage to Juro, as I am far less physically inclined than a Ultimate Soccer Player."

"Rapier users need not any strength other than enough to wield their weapon," Nene responded, folding her arms. "To explain, it's not just a competition of strength, but of mind games as well. Utilizing the environment, getting into your opponent's head, playing tricks on their mind, luring them into making a fatal mistake, and noticing when you have a valid opening to strike, all while taking your own safety into consideration, is the primary strategy to snatching victory as a fencer or rapier wielder. In any case, playing to your strengths and knowing your weaknesses is key."

"In that case, I might have more of a chance than Juro," I mused, feeling more confident now.

 _I've feel more enlightened than I have ever been in my life. There really is a lot to learn in this world. I wish I had the chance to go out there and study things like this, it's so intriguing and engaging._

"I would agree, as he isn't going to think anything out, as there is nothing but air in that skull of his," Nene added coldy.

Juro look offended. "I may not have the biggest of brain meats, but I know how to use my damn ears to hear your smack talk!" Juro exclaimed in defense.

Nene held out her hand to stop the nonsense. "First and foremost, I want to witness what you two can do. Now then, show me your finest attacks," she ordered.

We bagan doing as she said, getting into the combat stance we learned, and struck at the dummies.

"How pathetic…" Nene commented, watching us strike with all our effort at the training dummies.

"You're practically slashing, keep a straightforward motion as you thrust," Nene judged, regarding Juro's lackluster attacks.

He gave a cheeky smirk. "Heh, I know how to thrust like a goddamn professional, so don't worry. I won't disappoint,"

 _Oh my god, he needs to stop with that crap..._

Nene deadpanned at him, then she turning her attention to me.

"Your arms are to rigid as you attack and it is causing your arms to shake rapidly," Nene informed. "If you keep your attack focused, yet relaxed, you will achieve proper, and reliable precision. Once you two can achieve 10 perfect hits, we can conclude this training session."

 _ **A few minutes of attacking later…**_

"That's 3 perfect strikes so far, only 7 more to go," Nene counted as she studied our movements. "I'm amazed that you two weaklings are getting it down this fast."

 _ **A few more minutes of attacking went on…**_

"And that makes 10 for the both of you," Nene nodded in a solemn manner. "You may yield now."

"Told you I knew how to thrust masterfully," Juro commented with a grin.

"So, uh… are we duel ready?" I asked with an unsure smile.

 _I'm still not the most confident about this, as I fear I'll just make a fool out of myself._

"Indeed," Nene affirmed with a single nod. "I shall engage in a duel with one of the robots to give you an idea of how duels are handled and what you should expect. You may also want to take notes, using my performance to your advantage."

Nene brought a up a robot with her onto the arena. She activated the machine and it got into a fighting stance as did Nene. Then began the battle.

They exchanged multiple strikes, each one getting deflected, as they moved about in the ring. The robot going for a low jab to Nene's legs, only for the girl to hop right over it and deliver a strike of her own, her rapier making contact with the robot's shoulder.

The machine was not finished as it retaliated with an strong upward strike that knocked Nene's rapier into the air. In an impressive feat of agility, using the metal bars on the edges of the ring, she kicked of the top bar, doing a backflip while simultaneously catching her rapier as it fell mid air.

As she landed on her feet like a cat, she had struck the robot in the back of its neck, causing sparks to fly as it collapsed to the floor in a heap.

 _That was an exceedingly amazing move she pulled at the end there. I now see what she meant by utilizing your environment._

"Fucking hell girl, you are a real bonafide badass of the 10th degree!" Juro shouted in astonishment.

"I um... never imagined that you had that much skill in duel," I commented, a bit dumbfounded. "It seemed so... theatrical in comparison to most fights I've seen."

She returned down next to us. "When I say that I have superior strength to all, I was not joking around," the fencer remarked, sheathing her rapier to her side. "Now you understand what I mean when I say you wouldn't want to challenge me. Enough about me, I want to witness the two of you face each other. If you wish to remain safe, the suits are over there, and you know what weapon to use."

With some convincing, I got Juro to play it safe with me. With our fencing suit and epees, we got up onto the arena, and prepared to duel.

The moment we began, Juro immediately went on the offensive, striking multiple times in succession rather aggressively. I was able to defect most of them, almost losing my grip on my rapier. A few snuck past my defense, but I managed to jump back enough to avoid them.

"What's up huh!? Can't read me like those motherfucking books!?" Juro mocked.

 _Man, my heart rate is through the roof! I need to find a good chance to dodge if I want to counterattack his aggressive play..._

On a whim, I spun to Juro's side as he went in for a powerful stab, allowing me an ample opening for a strike. The hit connected into his side, the flimsy rapier bending on impact, unable to puncture the suit. My blood was positively pumping now.

 _That felt great! I feel like I can actually do this!_

Juro was not about to let up. He knocked my rapier to the side with a fast and mighty swing with his own, and followed up with a shoulder tackle, knocking flat on my ass.

With my rapier far out of reach, I surrender as he pointed me down with his rapier, with a smirk plastered on his face.

 _I'm kind of disappointed that I lost in the end, but, that was still just too damn exciting of a fight for me to not have enjoyed it._

"...Impressive job Juro. I hadn't predicted this outcome at all," Nene commented, placing a fist underneath her chin in a thoughtful manner.

Juro fist pumped proudly. "Never doubt the motherfucking Blonde Blazer! I always aim for the gold baby!" he cheered loudly.

I stood up, brushing my dress pants off. "You don't need to brag, I'm not a skilled fighter or anything like that," I remarked in distaste, rather flustered. "It's beyond a impressive feat to beat me."

"You may not hold a torch to any warriors I've battled, but you were much more competent in that duel than I had expected," Nene praised, she bowed her head in respect. "Job well done, both of you."

 _Nene complimented someone... times have changed drastically already._

We then left the arena, meeting with Nene at ringside.

"Thanks, now, I want to fucking fight the badass in the room!" Juro exclaimed, pointing towards Nene.

Nene deadpanned. "Are you positively sure about that?"

"Hell yeah! I don't even need this heavy ass suit or flimsy sword either! We going without any goddamn safety this time!" Juro shouted in full confidence, stripping out of the suit. He grabbed a nearby rapier on a rack. The same one he had picked out before.

 _He really is a moron, is he really that determined to win her heart?_

Nene gave an honorable bow. "Meet me in the ring, oh valiant knight," she challenged, entering the arena. "We'll see how that overconfidence transfers into true immense strength."

"I can go easy on you if you'd want," Juro offered as he strolled onto the arena as well.

"Your easy is synonymous with your hardest," Nene countered, unsheathing he rapier with a stoic look.

Juro scratched his head. "I don't even fucking know what the shit that means, but I just didn't want to ruin that pretty face," He remarked with a coy smile.

"Think with your upper head, would you?" Nene recommended, tapping her skull.

"Hey, two heads are better than one right?" Juro jokingly reasoned, not prepared for Nene's first strike. "Oh shi-!" fortunately for him, he was able to just barely deflect it.

He threw caution into the wind, suddenly delivering a swift and fearsome spin kick, actually managing to catch Nene off guard. His foot made impact with her left arm, knocking her rapier to the floor.

"Wha-" Nene gawked in absolute shock.

 _Dang, that dunce actually did a thing! I'll expect him to lose in moments time though._

"Hahah! Got ya!" Juro boasted, beating his chest with pride.

Nene shook her head clear and kicked up her rapier, and in a flash, jabbed the tip of her weapon through a hole in Juro's rapier hilt, allowing her to quickly swipe it out of his hand. She flicked it off the end of her rapier right into her right hand.

Juro's eyes widened as Nene pressed the sharp ti[ of her rapier underneath his chin. "Nevershittingmind then. You already fucked me over," Juro raised his arms to surrender. "Damn!"

"That was like, at least 20 seconds," I mentioned with an amused smile.

 _To give credit where it's due, he did disarm her once, even if it caused him to let his guard down. Still hilarious though, that he was defeated so fast._

"Close to my usual time of a minute," Nene replied, a bit smug. "Nevertheless, Juro, you did manage to last longer than I thought a weakling like yourself would have. You also managed to surprise me with that quick kick. I find myself pleasantly astonished by your performance."

"Does this mean that I'm finally not a damn pathetic fool?" Juro asked, lacing his hands behind his neck.

Nene stepped up closer to Juro. "You are… above average," Nene rated thoughtfully. "I believe I am fine with being in your presence at least."

"My efforts finally paid the fuck off…" Juro said in relief. He closed his eyes and looked as if he was expecting a kiss.

The fencer turned away. "However, don't get in over your head," she remarked, taking a step back while Juro continued to hold his position. "Your obsession with finding your way into my heart, there's still much more to venture though till you reach it. Fortunately, you have sufficient strength to progress forward."

"That is all for today, I quite enjoyed this activity. So, I must thank you for giving me this opportunity," Nene said with gratitude. "Goodnight." She then began walking out the door.

Juro blinked in rapid succession. "W-wait! Fuck! I'm not about to let you leave me hanging like a goddamn wet motherfucking towel like that!" Juro exclaimed, chasing the girl down in a desperate attempt to get his kiss.

I just shook my head and left the room as well.

 _He has the right idea to not let her go so easily. That's a common mistake people make when a woman or man walk away after showing some kind of affection. It's clear to me that Juro has a speckle of hope for his desire after all._

* * *

 **-Omezo's room-**

 _Much to my surprise, this day went rather well all things considered. Those that had their secrets revealed are handling themselves well enough, we have a plan for extending our survival, Masakado is in custody, and I grew closer with most of these people. Tomorrow however, may get gloomy, considering that Monotokage does have a motive she's looming over our heads. Alas, it's time to rest easy for now._

* * *

 _ **Monotokage's nonsensical theatre of nonsensical shit**_

 _If there's one thing that I would love to snap out of existence, it'd be the school system._

 _Seriously, fuck school! That shit is useless nowadays! If you needed to learn or figure something out, all you'd need to do is google that shit right away! And screw math! All I need is a goddamn calculator to do my bidding!_

 _Not only that, but the trash you have to deal with in school is unbearable! You got to deal with some fucking asshole kids who have one sole purpose to make your life living hell! the food is god awful like eating cardboard! Some teachers are ruthless, smacking you upside the head for doing somethin' wrong! then you have the pestering children who you just want to cave their skulls in with a hammer until they have a face not even a mother could love._

 _To make matters worse, homework has to budge into your free time, so that you have even less time to actually enjoy life!_

 _Furthermore, just about everything you learn in school flys straight the fuck out of your ears afterwards! At least in college, you can choose classes that actually matter for what you want to fucking do!_

 _Anyone who says they enjoy school is a fucking liar, they've just become delusional from the suffering. I wouldn't be surprised if school has turned people into Despairs like the tragedy has!_

 _Lesson of the day, Don't stay in school kid, fuck that shit! Let that crap get flushed out of this dimension!_

* * *

 **Review responses:**

 _TheRoseShadow21: Monotokage likes to keep it straight up and to the point so that you know what you're getting into. It's a little thing called courtesy (albeit twisted)._

 _Katastic Writer: I do have a blast writing Monotokage because of how ruthless she is. Maybe that makes me a sadistic prick… nah, I'm just getting into character is all._


	12. Chapter 2-3: Cemetery of Stars

**-Omezo's room-**

 _*knock knock knock*_

Once again, the sound of knocking woke me up. I got up and got a good stretching in. I quickly got dressed and approached the door. As I thought, it was Norito.

"Time for some more shenanigans with Sukey, Ace!" Norito informed me.

"I'm right with you," I told him before I let out a yawn.

 _I'm kind of vying for it to be way less of a taxing activity. All that cleaning was getting unbearable. I'll never get how he's able to enjoy it as much as he appears to._

I followed him out of my room and towards the kitchen in the cafeteria.

* * *

 **-Kitchen-**

"Now that we are all here, we can begin on this delectable food," Norito said, clasping his hands together with a eager smile.

"Why are we cooking exactly?" I asked tiredly, rubbing my eyes. "We already have all our food prepared for us."

 _Which is just about the only good thing Monotokage gives us. So, if she's not cooking the food anymore, then there's nothing to appreciate her for. Not that I wanted to in the first place. We could probably dish out better food than her, since we actually have our comfort in mind._

"I asked Monotokage to allow us to cook this time, and she gave me permission," Sukey explained, smile sweetly. "It's mainly because I wanted to make what little we can eat as enjoyable as possible, and I figured it'd be a decent bonding activity for us as well. We will be making bacon and scrambled eggs."

"Alright, what will our roles be in this activity?" Kaiya questioned, tapping her chin.

"Omezo will be cutting the strips of meat, 28 of them, two pieces for everyone, Kaiya and Norito, you'll be cracking the eggs. I will be in charge of cooking the scrambled eggs," Sukey answered, taking out some bowls and plates. "Once Omezo is finished with his job, we'll decide on what spices and such to add to the bacon."

 _Bacon, the golden child of all the meats. Everyone loves it and those that hate it are shunned for it. That said, I honestly don't really love it that much, but it is quite appetizing nonetheless._

"I could just use my handy dandy ultra cooking gadget, it can cook anything perfectly in no time flat!" Kaiya offered as she peeled a strip of meat from the pig meat on the counter. She took out a strange device that was rectangular in shape, it had a slot on the front and back, and a few blue and red buttons situated on what I assume to be the front. She stuck the piece of pug meat she had taken into the slot. The machine made a high pitched ding sound as she grabbed the meat from the other side. It was completely and perfectly cooked. She then popped it into her mouth with a pleased expression.

"It's a work of wonders," Kaiya remarked, swallowing her small snack with a proud smirk.

Norito looked impressed. "I'll say, didn't think something so small could cook like a pro!" he exclaimed in surprise.

"No no, we are in no need of that device," Sukey said, turning down the offer while she placed some pans on the stove.

Kaiya seemed a bit disappointed as she pondered for a moment. "Oh, well, I also have an automatic flipper for the eggs and bacon!" She whipped out another gadget that had the appearance of a pan, with a white glove forearm holding the pan's handle. She activate it with a button, causing it to fling the pan upwards with a lot of force creating a fwtang sound.

Sukey wagged her finger in disapproval. "There will be no usage of gadgets in this kitchen," the band director denied with a light smile. "We will do this the old fashioned way, as there is no need to rush the process. Otherwise, how can we properly work as a team?"

"Now you sound exactly like my mother," Kaiya mentioned, a pleasant smile grew on her face as she placed the gadget on the counter in front of a bowl of exotic fruits. "She always wanted me to do my chores with my bare hands so I'd never grow lazy."

"That's the second time someone told you that you were similar to their mother," I pointed out, with an amused grin.

"I don't have a problem if people find me motherly, as that usually means you love me, since most mothers deserve to be loved," Sukey remarked in a warm tone, flashing an infectious smile as she began to muse. "Besides, my students always accidentally call me mom, so I'm used to it."

"That's true, I do love you after all," Norito commented with a knowing smirk, his brown eyes fixating on Sukey.

Sukey's face turned a deep red. "N-norito! That's a rather bold statement," she stammered sheepishly, hiding half her face with a hand.

Norito offered an indifferent shrug. "What? I thought it was pretty obvious," he said with a playful grin. "As you said, you're motherly, so it's hard to not love you."

 _Real smooth, Norito, you might as well tell her that you wish to kiss her like your mother while you're at it._

"A-anyways, let's get to work now hall we," Sukey announced, hugging herself lightly.

I began digging into the slimy pig meat with my knife. The smell of raw meat invading my nostrils as I did so. I plopped a total of 13 slices of meat until I accidentally popped a large cyst full of crimson liquid. Unfortunately, my face was just close enough to get a face full of recently frozen pig blood on it.

I grimaced in disgust. "Agh, how fantastic…" I sighed, grabbing a rag that was nearby.

 _Just my luck to manage to pop a random blood clot that the butcher did not remove. What ever happened to professionalism?_

"Ahahaha~ someone could mistaken you for a psychopath with that look!" Kaiya playfully teased.

Norito studied my bloodied face with a contemplative look. "Yeah, you could be like... the Bloody Gary of this worlds" Norito added with an impish smirk.

"Real creative, consider my socks laughed off…" I sarcastically replied as I finished wiping the sticky blood off my face and place the now bloodstained rag in the sink.

Sukey cutely giggled. "Luckily, the showers are available, so you won't need to have the smell of iron trailing behind you for that long," she informed with a cheery expression.

A while later of flesh slicing and egg cracking, I had finished my duty.

"There you have it," I announced, washing my hands in the sink. "all 28 slices of meat on the plate, ready for the transformation into scrumptious bacon."

Sukey nodded her head. "Job well done, Ace, now Norito and Kaiya just have to finish with the last 3 eggs and we can begin experimented with the bacon,"

Suddenly, a wild grin spread across Norito's face. "Hey, watch this you guys," He took up an egg in one hand and a knife in the other. Then, he tossed the egg into the air above the large bowl of yolk and swiped his knife through it, cutting it in half. The yolk fell directly into the bowl beneath it as he swiftly caught the egg shells. "Pretty outstanding huh?"

 _Leave it to Norito to try to add flare to egg cracking… At least he did not screw it up like he does when he gets fancy with that mop._

Kaiya tapped her chin. "Eh, decent, I give it 5 stylish points out of ten," the secret agent adjusted her bow-tie with a smug look. "I on the other hand, have something even more skillful to show off."

Kaiya picked up a knife and an egg much like Norito did. Except, she handed Norito the egg. "I want you to toss this into the air when I tell you to,"

"Aye aye," Norito saluted in agreement.

Kaiya positioned herself on the other side of the kitchen, directly across from the bowl, knife in hand. Seeing that she was most likely going to throw the damn thing, I made sure to stand on her side, fearing a knife getting lodged into my body.

 _I'm not sure why this has become a competition, but I'd rather play it safe by staying out of harm's way. Not that I don't trust Kaiya's skills, I know of what she's capable of. However, I won't take my chances._

"It's cool that you are getting stylish and all, but please don't attempt dangerous stunts…" Sukey requested, seeming a bit worried.

"It's not dangerous if a professional is doing it," Kaiya assured her in a careless manner. "Alright, Norito, toss that egg will ya?"

Norito did just that, as the egg flew upwards, Kaiya lifted the knife behind her shoulder, preparing to throw it. The moment when the egg hit the peak of its height, Kaiya launched the knife, it cut straight through the egg's center and lodged itself into a wooden cupboard. The yolk landed in the bowl below, and the shells fell to the side.

 _That was pretty jaw-dropping if I had to say. In fact, it almost breaks the laws of physics. Normally, you would think the egg would just be either knocked away or explode._

"I have to hand it to you, that was far more impressive than my mediocre stunt," Norito complimented, genuinely impressed.

"So I win then?" Kaiya questioned with a proud expression.

"Well, I did not say that," Norito responded, grabbing the tip of his teal hat. "I can do what you just did, but better and more heroically at that."

"Have at it then." Kaiya allowed, gesturing to where she stood for the stunt.

The same process was repeated, just with the role's reversed. Norito flipped the knife around in the air, catching it every time.

 _If I was worried before, I dead scared now. As long as I remain over here, surely I can avoid anything terrible._

"Launch that egg, Peppermint! Then witness stuff of glory." Norito commanded, finger gunning the turquoise haired girl.

I watched on as Kaiya tossed the egg up and Norito threw the knife from it's blade. While it did make contact with the egg, it did not cut it. Instead, the egg got knocked to the side and splattered on top of Kaiya's automatic flipper gadget. It short circuited and made that same fwtang sound. Suddenly, I saw nothing but darkness.

I felt quite sore for some reason. I slowly blinked my eyes as I overheard a bunch of muffled voices. Each time I opened my eyes, it was all a blurry haze. I could make out human figures and some colors, but didn't recognize anything. Eventually, I came to my senses and my vision restored itself. Suffice to say, my head was positively pounding with pain.

"Ugh, what just happened…?" I asked, feeling very dazed at the moment as I rubbed my head where I felt a bump at. I noticed that I was sitting against a wall, still in the kitchen.

 _I imagine that this is what having a hangover feels like..._

Norito heard me and turned, regarding me with a nervous smile. "Oh, welcome back to the land of the conscious, Ace," he greeted.

"Excuse me? What?" I questioned, confused. "I was knocked out?"

"Yeah, sorry about that…" Norito apologized sincerely, rubbing the side of his neck. "You got a firm blow from a unidentified flying coconut from a pan flippin' device as a result of that stunt I pulled."

 _Are you kidding me? There just so happened to be a coconut that could be flung by that machine, and I just so happened to be in its trajectory? What kind of crap is that? It's like rolling a one on a D20..._

"First, I get squirted by pig blood, then I get knocked unconscious by a coconut of all things," I recounted, still rubbing that bump on the side of my head, I weakly smiled. "Not the best run I've had…"

"It was quite the unlucky string of events," Kaiya commented.

"Are you alright though, Omezo?" Sukey asked, staring at me compassionately. "I hope the injury isn't too bad."

"I'm fine, just a little sore," I groggily stood up onto my feet. I then saw that all the food was finished and lying on plates. I felt my mouth water as my nose caught the smell of the bacon. "I can see that you guys finished while I was out of it."

"Oh yes, I think the bacon turned out great," Sukey said with pride before her expression turned giddy with excitement. "You should test it out for us!"

I shrugged and took a piece of bacon. Taking a decent sized bite out of it, and almost immediately an explosion of flavor soon followed.

 _It smelled as flavorful as it tasted. I don't have the taste to proficiently identify the ingredients, so I cannot pinpoint what they added._

"Wow, that was single handedly the most delectable thing I've eaten for as long as I can remember. You guys did a fantastic job," I commended, genuinely shocked.

"That's good news to hear," Sukey said with a bright smile. "Come on, let's deliver the others their meals!"

* * *

 **-Cafeteria-**

Sukey, Norito, Kaiya, and I placed plates of two slices of bacon and a bit of scrambled eggs on the tables in front of everyone. The strong smell of crispy bacon permeated throughout the room.

"And breakfast is served," Kaiya announced, bowing in a similar fashion to a butler presenting a fine dinner to his master. "Let us dine like, well, I would love to say kings, but you know, it's only two measly pieces of bacon, so I guess it's fine dining for peasants that get leftovers, except that also has a negative connotation, which is not what we are goin-"

 _She's going for way too long there._

I raised a palm to gesture her to stop."In a more short and concise statement, we hope you all enjoy this 'meal,' while it may not be large, the desire is for it to be the most palatable meal," I stated as I stuffed my hands into my suit pants pockets.

"We did pour our heart and soul into those pieces of meat, so it should be the best slabs of bacon you've ever tasted!" Sukey exclaimed confidently with a bright smile..

Leiko tapped her lips. "I know that souls, especially innocent ones, are a five star meal in hell, so this should be at least 5.5 stars," She deducted as she studied the strips of meat on her plate.

"Oh yeah, it should be a clean sweep of your favorite meal list!" Norito declared proudly, offering a flashy grin.

"If this meal does not live up to your words, then we will be seeing if you can take the crown on our list," The twins forewarned, their narrowed eyes prying into Norito's, causing him to gulp fearfully in response.

 _Norito always seems to be the target of their frightening statement. I wonder if there's a reason or he's just as fortunate as I am._

Arishige, using a fork, took a small bite out of a strip of bacon. His eyes lit up with genuine astonishment. "Aaaahhh~ How wondrous! Something this succulicious has never laid upon my tongue!" the flamboyant cosmetologist remarked with a pleasant expression. "If fantabulous was a flavor, this would be it," he then kissed the tips of his fingers.

"It's unlike anything I've ever tasted before back where I live," Nene commented as she swallowed a bite of her bacon. "Modern cities do have their perks, don't they?" she mused thoughtfully.

Anzai pushed his glasses up with a finger. "For the second time, and probably never again, I can... congratulate you plebeians for something," the genius commended with reluctance as a arrogant smile found its way onto his face. "Of course, I'm a genius in the kitchen, so I could outdo this with little effort. Nonetheless, admirably job well done you four."

Heikichi shrugged. "It's to be expected, bacon alone is the ruler of all food in this universe," he mentioned, pinching his visor.

"Eh, Imma be real with y'all, I'm not a fan of bacon," Jurobei admitted, biting his lower lip. "There's just too damn much grease, not even that much meat, and I prefer my meat not so crunchy."

"What heresy!" Masakado remarked in revulsion as he looked over at Sozen. "May I be granted permission to slice this heathen's tongue off, he won't be needing it with such faulty taste buds."

 _Never thought I'd see Kado get so pissed over someone's preference over bacon. Well, I suppose he could be faking it, but it seems too genuine. Again, he may just be an amazing actor… All I can say is, Juro better run for the hills as he did when I first met him._

"Permission granted, but make it quick," Sozen responded as he took out a key.

Juro's eyes widened in fright. "Woah! Hold the fuck on my guy! That was just a joke! I swear to all hell," the soccer player clarified as he began to sweat profusely with a nervous grin. "I need my tongue for many reasons, and one of those involves offering variety in the bedroom."

Sozen crossed his arms across his bulky chest. "You're right. it was indeed a joke," the sheriff said with a stony expression.

"O-oh, crap, nice one dude, you really had me going for a fucking minute," Jurobei said as he rubbed the back of his neck with a sheepish grin.

Sukey offered an infectious smile. "I'm very glad that you are all enjoying it this much," the band director commented with gratitude, delicately clasping her hands over her heart. "It truly does soothe my heart…"

"And you have our thanks for making the most of what little we can eat," Sozen said while he wiped his mouth clean with a napkin after finishing his plate. "It would be greatly appreciated if you cooked from here on out to make the rationing more bearable for us. Although, I won't force you."

"I'd love to, anything to increase our comfort and general happiness," Sukey agreed with a beaming smile.

"And I'll assist you!" Norito volunteered, flashing a toothy grin. "Cause, what's a chef without their cooks? Also, I just don't want you to overwork yourself for our sakes, I know how tough it can be."

A gracious smile flitted to the band director's lips. "Your assistance is much appreciated, Scrubby, thanks so much for your constant consideration!" she happily thanked as a look of determination formed upon her face, gazing at the janitor. "I'm confident that we'd make an amazing duet in the kitchen as we did while we cleaned yesterday."

Norito gave a modest expression as he met her gaze. "Just another usual day for me, creating smiles left and right!" the cherry locked boy remarked, adjusting his hat. "'Bout time I got back into that business down here."

 _One thing's for sure, I can now look forward to any future meals, if they are anything like that bacon. Maybe this rationing won't be so bad in the end._

"You have our deepest gratitude for contributing to our overall comfort, Sukey," Shuuyo piped up with a pleased smile.

"However, it is now our turn to contribute to the efforts of unification and pleasantry," Rikako declared.

"We are plotting to host a grandiose show of entertainment for everyone," they proposed, both of them holding an arm outward. "Our wish is for this show to be quite the awe-inspiring experience for all."

"I was wondering when you'd make use of the theatre," I remarked, stroking my jawline.

"This is a rather surprising development coming from you two," Nene commented with a bit of shock, glaring at the twins with a glint of suspicion in her sky blue eyes.

"We realize the importance of bringing us together, and this is what we bestow upon all of you to assist," the twins explained as they each twirled a single strand of their hair. "Furthermore, we've been lacking in entertainment, and we could think of no better option than a performance of grand proportions. Plus, from our own experience, performing with others is an efficient way to bring folks together. That said, would any of you like to join us in this trek into the spotlight? We can all have our very own performance to display. We haven't decided an exact time, but it's guaranteed to happen tomorrow. For all that join, we shall discuss the plans later today."

Sukey blinked rapidly in succession. "I am astounded, yet also in adoration of this idea," she commented, tapping her chin for moment with a warm smile. "So, I'll be joining in for sure! I just need to find an instrument or two somewhere and I should be able to deliver something grand on stage."

"Ooo! Ooo~ count me in!" Leiko exclaimed, eagerly waving her hand. "I can pull off a totally fun and fantastic performance, also, I'm just too bored all the time. I needed this."

"I could never pass up an opportunity to create a fabulous spectacle for all to witness!" Arishige dramatically trumpeted, flicking his fluffy white bang back.

"I would love to join in the fun, but I'm not sure what I could do as a performance…" Norito mentioned, pondering his options. "Cleaning probably isn't the most entertaining thing to watch."

"You can play the role of the on stage announcer, as we do need one." Shuuyo said.

"Sounds good to me!" Norito agreed with a wide smirk, giving them a thumbs up. "Happy to help in any way."

"Anyone else so willing to partake?" Rikako inquired as her and her sister's magenta eyes flitted to all our faces. "We can fit in one more performance into the schedule."

"You should join, Sozen!" Kaiya exclaimed excitedly, shaking the sheriff's broad shoulder lightly.

Sozen gave her a strange look in response. "Excuse me? I'm not exactly the show business type of guy." he refuted, crossing his arms indignantly.

Kaiya puffed her cheeks in annoyance. "Who cares? You are always do focused on keeping us under control and never let yourself enjoy life, and that doesn't bode well for your psyche. You really need and deserve a break," the secret agent persuaded. "This would offer some desperately needed fun for you."

Sozen simply tapped his foot as he offered her a slightly displeased look. "Mind informing what I could even do to entertain anyone?" the light gray haired boy requested, then he let out a puff of air through his nostrils. "I'm no dancer or singer after all, unless eye wrenching and ear bleeding is the goal here."

"If you give us the chance to survey your capabilities, we should be able to sort something out for you," the twins answered with neutral expressions.

"See? Just give it a try, Sozen!" Kaiya pushed, playfully socking Sozen's arm as she offered him an encouraging grin. "As your deputy, I will cheer for you the entire time!"

"It's not like there is shame in failure here," Heikichi assured, tapping at his wrist device. "None of us are serious critics or anything."

Sozen let a short sigh leave his mouth. "I suppose I'll give it a go," he complied as he crossed his arms and looked to the side. "Since I'll be out of touch, I need someone to volunteer to keep watch over Kashiwa until this show business is over and done with."

 _That's rather shocking to hear. I am not sure what kind of performance to expect from him. Regardless, I am in agreement with Kaiya, he does need to take a break before he overloads himself with responsibilities._

"I'll take care of the swine for you," Nene offered, placing a hand on the tip of her rapier's handle. "He won't be able to do a thing under my eye, and his words mean nothing to me."

"There you go, welcome to show, Sozen!" Sukey greeted in a warm tone.

"I better not regret this decision…" Sozen mused with uncertainty in his expression.

"Relax, nothing terrible is going to happen during the show," Norito doubted, trying to offer comfort. "We've already taken care of our main issue, and the motive isn't that much of a problem."

Juro looked mildly angry at the statement. "Oi! Don't fucking say that shit! Cause when you do, some shit will go down!" he shouted assertively, clenching a fist.

"We shouldn't be assuming the worst, but if anything happens, we'll be able to push through it as we did before," I rationalized before grinning awkwardly as I scratched the back of my neck. "In theory anyways."

"Speaking of motives, I am reminded of secrets," Nene brought up, tapping the hilt of her rapier. "I believe it was you, Kaiya, who brought up the idea for all of us to let our secrets out ourselves. After giving it some thought, I feel as though that's the best course of action."

"It's still a really iffy subject…" Heikichi mentioned, frowning as he gaze at the fencer with prying eyes. "There may be some secrets we don't want to know, and some that would bring out the worst in people. Do you really want to risk bringing another unstable factor into this group?"

Nene's eyes narrowed slightly. "I won't deny the possibility. However, all of our secrets will get out into the light eventually," the blonde woman reasoned in a firm manner. "At the very least, we can eliminate most of them now, when we are in good chemistry, and take care of the consequences without Monotokage's influence."

"Well, since I was the one who pitched the idea, allow me to be the first to tell of my super secret secret," Kaiya volunteered, she then cleared her throat and messed with her black bow-tie for a second with an uneasy expression. "Believe it or not, there was a moment in my career that I'm not the proudest of, in fact, I wish I never bothered. The fact of the matter is that I had to essentially pretend to be the sex slave of quite the deplorable pimp, by the name of Bakin Iwayama, in order to gain info on him and his mafia. I was forced to participate in some really disgusting and taboo sex acts. Things like scat, child sex, gore, etc. I'll spare you the details."

 _None of that is right in any way. I've seen a lot of sickening things during the ongoing tragedy, but this outmatches a good bit of that stuff. I would never want to be forced to do unspeakable things. Makes me feel terrible for Kaiya._

Juro's face contorted in revulsion. "Scat is the shit with the shit, right? Shit, and children too! That's nasty as hell!" he ran a hand through his hair as he shook his head in disappointment. "Makes me feel great that I'm a masochist…"

The color drained from Arishige's face. "Yeah, please leave it at that, I'd rather not lose that delicious meal I just had," the fuchsia haired man requested, covering his mouth.

Masakado's brow furrowed. "Hmpf, can't believe someone out did me on the atrocities in life…" he stated as a malicious sneer formed on his face. "I might need to change that…"

I shook my head with a sigh. "Kado, just shut up; anyways, that is really screwed the fuck up what he made you do," I remarked, staring Kaiya with curiosity and confusion. "What possessed you to make you want to take that kind of mission anyways?"

Kaiya made a sound of disgust. "I don't know, look, I thought it wouldn't get that sickening for me. In hindsight, I should've done my research beforehand," she replied, placing a hand on her hip as she looked down, ashamed.

"So, what? You were fine with the idea of being a sex slave?" Heikichi questioned with disapproval.

Leiko glared daggers at the hacker. "Hey! Being a sex slave is no crime!" the demonologist exclaimed in anger, furiously pointing at the boy.

"Just, don't dig into it," Kaiya implored, hiding her red tinged face in embarrassment. "It's not my proudest moment for a reason…"

"Hopefully, that man got his deserved punishment for those kind of repulsive acts," Norito commented, gripping his soap bar that hung from his necklace. "Villains human or not, are stains that sully the world, and all stains should be removed."

"Men like that deserve nothing short of a gruesome and agonizing death," the twins remarked, their expressions intense. "Perhaps having a drill slowly penetrate the cranium and through the brain."

"Fortunately, I was given permission to end his miserable life. Naturally, I did," Kaiya mentioned, leaning on the palm of her hand. "So, I can be proud of that at least."

"Alright, with that out of the way," Nene began, she gazed at the rest of us. "Who else is wishes to share their deepest secret?"

"It's time I add mine to into the mix," Sozen frowned tightly, his stoic deep blue eyes fixating on us. "I killed a child."

 _Well, this whole secrets thing went full throttle suddenly. We've gotten into child murder territory. Except, there's no way he willingly killed a kid, that's not like him, I want believe anyways..._

"What?!" Sukey's eyes widened in shock as she cupped her mouth.

"You can't just leave it broad as the ocean like that," I rebuked, frowning and crossing my arms while leaning on a foot.

Sozen shut his eyes tightly, he seemed to be holding something back. "I won't just… give me a moment and I'll explain," he let out a shaky breath of air, beginning to seem out of character. "Yes, I killed a child, an innocent child, 6 years old, had a loving family. This was back in my rookie days. The poor kid was held captive by a terrorist who had bombs set in an city. I did not know where, but he was dead set that it'd kill hundreds, maybe thousands, of people. He warned me that if I made a move, he'd hit the detonator. He gave me a gun and emptied every bullet besides one, and forced me to aim it directly to the child's forehead. Then, he gave me a choice, to either shoot the kid, or let the bombs go off. There was never a moment where his finger was not above the button, so I thought I had to make a choice. Despite the kid's tears and pleading, I shot him."

 _Not a decision I envy to be forced to make. As sad as it is, he made the correct and logical choice. I'd done the same._

"Jesus…" Sukey said in a somber manner as she folded her hands over her lap.

"I ended his life in one shot, but his teary, fearful green eyes, and soaked face from his tears that streamed downwards haunts me. Not to mention, his words of pure terror as he tried to beg me and the terrorist to stop. Looking back on it now, I knew that I could have done something to save the kid's life and kept the bombs from going off," Sozen lamented as he palmed his forehead, his fingers digging into his light gray hair.

Anzai scoffed. "Typical commoner, never scrutinizing all the details to come to a proper, intelligent decision," he chided, rolling his eyes.

"We both have ended a child's life, hmm, seems we are not as different as you thought," Kado mocked with a devilish smirk.

"I suppose in that regard, we are alike, however, this doesn't change my opinion of you," Sozen remarked, his facial featured tightening as he regarded the cult leader's words.

"What of the terrorist?" Heikichi asked, furrowing his brow. "You couldn't have let that asshat get away with that."

"He set the detonator down, and just jumped out the window, 10 stories up," Sozen explained, his expression turned thoughtful. "Suffice to say the fall killed him, a suicide at it's finest. My guess is, that event was his final firework, he must have expected me to save the child."

"Since this is your secret, I imagine that nobody else knew of your choice," Nene assumed.

"Indeed, I told the press that the kid was dead on my arrival," Sozen confirmed, slowly shaking his head. "I wish I had just told the truth, but I didn't want to face the public on the matter of a kid's life, let alone his families wrath."

"I for one, think you made the right choice," I proclaimed, a sincere look on my face. "It was one kid's life over hundreds of others."

"0010 1001010 0110," Heikichi frowned, pressing a hand on his side.

 _Judging by Heikichi's expression, he doesn't agree with me. I can't fault him for it, it's hard to imagine killing a child even unwillingly like that and not feel remotely sickened._

"A kid who could've had a great future, he hardly got to see all the good the world had to offer," Sozen said, throwing in a mirthless chuckle. "All because of my foolhardy young self."

Sukey offered him an earnest expression. "Well, I won't despise you for it, we all make mistakes, some worse than others," the band director remarked. "The only thing to do is to make up for it and better ourselves as a result."

"Yeah, Sozen, you already seem like you've learned from that experience," Kaiya added with a warm grin. "It's better to see it as a stepping stone that made you who you are now, the Ultimate Sheriff."

"That's always the most intuitrous course of action," Arishige commented, pulling at his fluffy bang. "I've done it myself in fact."

Sozen head dropped low. "It'll never feel right, no matter how hard I try to forget it. I just can't shake that lasting image that ingrained itself in my mind,"

"For all the lives you've saved, and the justice you deliver, that mistake is a moot point now," Kaiya persuaded, resting her hand on the sheriff's shoulder. "It's nothing that'll blemish our opinion of you, well, I speak for myself in that regard. But, I can assure you that I'll always remain your deputy no matter what!" she exclaimed with a supportive smile.

"Yeah man, I'm sure none of us will hate you for it," Norito commented, grabbing the tip of his hat with a wide smirk. "It's nothing but a speck of dirt that's easily brushed off."

"Fuck dude, I wasn't planning on being depressed today…" Juro's shoulders slumped as his dispirited expression grew.

Nene's eyes flicked at each of us. "Do we have anymore secrets to hear?".

"I've got one to get off my chest, and I'm not about to let it bring me down!" Norito boldly exclaimed, appearing determined.

 _*Ding dong, bing bong*_

" **As much as I'm lovin' this despairing story-time, I felt like upping the difficulty more! I want to see all your beautifully ugly mugs in the announcement room ASAP! Gahahahahaha!"**

 _I was waiting for this to happen. I can only beg for it to not be a troublesome motive. But, why would it be anything else? Monotokage has made it clear that she isn't going easy at all._

"Seems the secret will have to wait until tomorrow then," Nene said, resting a hand on her shoulder.

'Crap! And after I just finished pep talking myself in my thoughts..." Norito pouted with disappointment.

* * *

 **-Announcement room-**

"Time for some fantastic news from out very cool and generous host," Heikichi said in a sarcastic manner.

"It's going to be another motive, and it's going to pile on even more pressure on us," Sozen predicted, closing his eyes with his arms crossed.

"She's putting way to much in our bags…" I voiced with worry. "We won't be able to carry them if things continue to go her way."

"We'd never have to worry about being crushed under all that pressure, as long as we have all hands on deck and put our heads together, we could lift that weight and toss it away!" Norito heroically claimed, confidently posing with his mop.

"I love to break it to you, birdbrain, but, that's not a valid hypothesis in this game," Anzai coldly remarked, scowling. "It's simply improbable that teamwork is all that is needed to stop death."

 _As much as I hate to say it, he's not without merit. Anyone could easily take advantage of our trust without us even realizing._

"Those words only ring true to your very own ears," Sozen countered with a stern look. "As the rest of us are willing to test it."

"Oh no, I'm sure our recent prisoner isn't all the willing," Anzai smirked, gesturing to Masakado whom was within arms reach of Sozen and Leiko.

"He's out of the question," Sozen asserted, pursing his lips. "There's nothing he can do to easily throw us of course at the moment."

"I'm not out of the picture until my voice is eternally silenced," Masakado piped up with a malicious smile.

"Shut your beautifully corrupted lips, servant! Or else I'll have to whip you into shape," Leiko warned, giving the cult leader an intimidating look as she rubbed her hands together evilly.

The twins let out a short, quiet giggle. "Seems our gleeful demon enthusiast has that under control," they commented, daintily smiling.

"Regardless of what Monotokage has prepared, none of us should be easily swayed by any motive," Nene proclaimed in a serious tone. "We all witnessed what the punishment is for failure to shamefully hide your crime. Do any of you truly want to risk such a grueling demise?"

"I would say that we did a pretty good job figuring out that crime, and it wasn't an obvious answer either," Kaiya reminded as she mused, tapping her chin. "Who's to say we couldn't spot out the next killer just the same?"

"As much as I have confidence in us, that's not going to stop anyone from believing they can outsmart us, even then, some people are just that desperate and don't think straight," I pointed out.

"You're all lucky I have no intention of murdering you low-lives," Anzai arrogantly remarked, brushing himself off with a cocky expression. "It'd be like easy mode with god mode activated for someone of a superior intellect such as myself."

 _Murder is not something to brag about..._

"Well fuck you too, dipshit!" Juro ridiculed, fists raised in agitation. "You didn't even fucking help in the trial, you have nothin'! Absolutely nothin'! To support that trash talk!"

"Could we at least save the arguing for after the motive?" Heikichi requested, scratched underneath his beanie. "I mean, seriously, I thought we came to an agreement yesterday."

"I second that, you are all starting to act like a bunch of... snagglepusses!" Sukey shouted in a short bout of anger.

Juro harrumphed. "It's not our fault that scaly dipshit is taking so damn long!" the blonde boy exclaimed, indignantly crossing his arms.

"Quit the whining you nutheads!" Monotokage commanded, quite annoyed as she was rolling her head. "Sheesh, I'd thought ya'll would've learned the concept of patience by now."

"Cut to the chase, filthy reptilian," Arishige demanded adamantly. "Offer us your specithetic les hors d'oeuvres to our all ready full meal of motives. So that we may brush it off like dirt on a fabulous suit."

Monotokage rubbed her tail as if she were hurt. "Me oh my, what disrespect... Oh well, since you are oh so eager, allow me to deep-throat you with this motive, Yahehehehehe~" the lizard chortled. "I've nicknamed this one as the "Make a wish" motive, the deal with it is that I will so graciously grant you a single wish. It can be just about anything you want. For example, maybe there's somebody you want to bring back life so that you can speak to them once more, maybe you want all the money in the world or complete control of a nation, etc. Any of that and the only price is one of your lives."

Heikichi shrugged. "Then I'll just wish for all of us to escape and be done with it, I'm sure a few of us would be willing to sacrifice themselves for that," the pearl white haired boy profoundly proposed.

"If that's a possibility, then I volunteer to die for all your sakes," Nene offered, resting a hand on the hilt of her rapier with her eyes shut.

Sukey was taken aback. "Wha- really...?" she stammered in shock.

"Dang, and I thought I was the hero in this facility…" Norito commented, rubbing the side of his neck.

 _I've never respected a person more than Nene, to show constant dauntlessness and now volunteering to sacrifice herself for us to escape this hell. She must really have nothing to return too… that's almost saddening._

"No godfricken' way! That kind of valiant shit is not necessary!" Juro exclaimed attempting to shut down the notion.

"Hold on there bucko, there is no loopholes or shit like that allowed!" Monotokage asserted sternly. "I'm not an idiot, I'd never grant a wish like that. That would ruin the whole point of the killing game!"

"Then what wishes are viable?" I queried, rubbing my jawline.

Monotokage scoffed. "Obviously nothing that helps you or anyone else here escape or survive," the lizard answered. "If you just ask me in secret if a wish is allowed or not, I'll give you a yay or nay."

"You listed resurrection as an example, how are we supposed to trust that such a supernatural occurrence is possible?" Sozen said, posing an interesting question.

"I wouldn't have mentioned it if there wasn't a way for me to do that," Monotokage replied curtly before leaning on a clawed hand. "I have not bulshitted you bozos with my motives yet, had Isoyo not killed, you'd all be talentless for sure. Besides, to finally have that loved one back into your life, is that not something you want to even attempt to gain?"

I felt my brow furrow. "What if there's a catch, like a monkey's paw situation? Where, if we are not specific enough, the wish goes awry,"

"I may have done you dirty before, apologies for the garden by the way, gahahahaha~" Monotokage chortled before becoming serious. "But, I can assure you that there is no catches, no fingers crossed, no jokes with this motive. Your wish will be exactly what you imagine it to be, true as blue. Swearsies."

Leiko's eyes widened in realization. "Then that means I could get the almighty Satan's signature, and then have follow-up, hot lava sex!" the icy haired girl exclaimed excitedly, her tongue lolling out as she began to sweat profusely in a lustful haze.

"Ugh… disgusting images now plague my mind…" Masakado grimaced.

 _You and me both. Sex with a demon goat in lava sounds painful in more ways than one._

"That makes this quite the tantalizing incentive, we must admit…" Rikako remarked in a dull tone.

"To have what one desires the most even when thought to be impossible…" Shuuyo said, trailing off in though.

"While greatly enticing as it may be, it would be ridiculous and selfish of us to indulge in it, when it's not even guaranteed I might add, and sacrifice 13 lives all for some fantasy dream to come true," Nene proclaimed, the hint of disapproval in her voice was quite evident.

 _This motive is much like that money one in the first killing game. It's primarily bringing out the greed in people. Apparently, some clairvoyant acted upon that one, and in my father's words "That guy's the type of dude that, when told to spell orange, would ask "which one"." So, the evidence is there that only idiots would fall for this kind of motive. However, a wish for whatever you may want with few restrictions is far beyond simple green slips of paper. In other words, we shouldn't it like it's nothing._

Masakado's lips pulled into a fine line. "Hmph, I can think of a few people in my life I'd like to have a meaningful conversation with. So that I may chastise them for dying before giving me the chance to see them," he mused with a bit of anger in his tone.

I scratched the back of my neck. "Yeah, I would finally be able to meet my mother. I've always heard that she was a great woman… I'd do a lot to have that chance to show her how far her son has come… and to tell her that I love her," I said, my facial features softening as I remembered the storing my father told me about her and him.

" _Your mother was one hell of a woman. Tough as nails, but soft on the inside. She could tell a mean joke too. You would have loved her just as much I do. I know she'd return the affection, she always told me that she was looking forward to seeing your adorable face…"_ I fought back a tear at the memory.

"You'd really fucking kill all of us for that heartwarming shit?!" Juro exclaimed through clenched teeth. "I mean, I love my Momster a helluva lot, and it's depressing as shit that you didn't even meet yours, but fuck dude, it's not worth our goddamn lives!"

"I get it, don't worry," I affirmed, holding my hand up defensively. "I've gone this far without her, I'm sure it'll be just as easy to continue doing so."

Arishige gripped the collar of his coat. "There is a person in my life that'd I'd certainly love to bring back into the glorious land of the living, so that I may grant them a fantabulous life like no other, such as they wanted," the cosmetologist said before becoming stone-faced. "Yet, I'm confident that they rest peacefully, and that's all I require."

"Other than all this resurrection nonsense, anything else would just be needless," Sozen remarked, crossing his arms over his chest. "Seeing that we all already came to terms with death in our lives, we should have nothing to worry about."

"Easy for you to say, you can't be sure what goes on in everyone else's mind," Heikichi said, rubbing his bicep. "A wish that can give you just about anything you desire is a pretty fucking huge deal."

"At the cost of many lives that would grant you severe guilt throughout your entire life, and with the risk of a gruesome death. You should know the proper decision is to avoid murdering anyone like a coward," Nene proclaimed with a stern expression.

"With all due respect, you are correct, alas, things like this bring out the most shallowest in people, the first killing game is a testament to that," Sozen brought up. "We can never play our cards too carefully."

Sukey pressed her fingers into the palms of her hands in frustration. "Guys! Can we please just ignore this?" Sukey desperately pleaded. "Dwelling on all of it isn't going to affect our chemistry positively. We have a good amount of free time now, let's make efficient use of it by bonding with one another."

"I concur, the closer we are, the less likely we'd want to kill each other," Kaiya wholeheartedly agreed. "Cause, nobody would murder their friend… well, actually, never-mind, still makes it difficult regardless," she finished with a nervous laugh.

"It also provides intriguing conversations, and enlightening learning experiences," I added.

"If you're done entertaining me, then I'm outty," Monotokage said before began salivating. "I got a five star lobster dinner to finish, and let me tell you, it's a delicacy, it sends your taste buds to heaven's gates! Yahehehehe~ too bad you'll never get a taste of that succulent, juicy, lemony, lobster meat! Unless, you wish for it of course. Gahahahaha!" the lizard laughed in amusement. "Anyways, have fun ripping each other's heads off, and don't forget to think up of a good wish for me. Ta ta~" She disappeared once more.

 _In this situation, I'm thankful for my distaste in seafood. She can't inspire jealously in me with that description._

"Freakin` teasing ass bitchface! Seafood is like my favorite thing ever! I could kill for it!" Juro complained in irritation before nervously scratching his head. "Except, I won't really."

"Let's just part ways for now," Nene proposed as she headed towards the doors.

"Yeah, and hopefully everyone will act upon Sukey's suggestion," Norito said with a hopeful smile. "Ain't nothing better then just hanging out and chilling with someone, sharing stories and the like."

 _Since I was thinking about it before, I kind of want to see if I can learn of Nene's life._

* * *

 **-Fencing arena-**

Entering the arena, I noticed Nene in the back, striking at a dummy.

I approached her with a friendly smile. "Figured I'd find you in here."

"Do you wish to train your fighting prowess some more?" Nene asked in between her jabs with her rapier.

"Actually, I just want to talk," I clarified, placing a hand on my hip. "I'm curious of you, because as much as I have gathered from you, I'd imagine you have an enthralling background."

"My backstory is reserved for those with true strength," Nene remarked with a cold glare. "You have yet to prove as much."

I stroked my chin. "I've always wondered, what even is your definition of true strength?" I questioned as I offered her an perplexed expression. "This may seem ignorant, but when you first met us, you dubbed us all as weaklings without worth, yet some of us aren't without power. I'm afraid I just find myself unsure of your judgement."

She sheathed her rapier and lifted her chin up high. "True strength is when you are admirably strong in body, mind, and soul. Furthermore, you must achieve a perfect balance of all three factors and iron out all imperfections. Only then will you have attained true strength, earn mine and many others' respect, and reach a higher position of power in the ladder of strength," the fencer explained, giving me a serious look. "That is my personal belief."

"I see, so it did have an ulterior meaning to you," I commented before returning her look with an disapproving one. "However, isn't it a bit hyper critical to label people without that kind of strength as pathetic or not worth anything? Not everyone can just achieve that kind of impressive balance."

"I acknowledge how improbable it may seem, and I apologize if I've set an unrealistic expectation for one such as yourself," the blonde girl said in understanding, her eyes averting. "It's simply what I have learned in my life. You see, I've been subjected to ceaseless hammering of morals, traditions, and imposing expectations."

"Sounds like you had a rough life then."

"At first, yes, as reluctant as I may be to admit this. I used to be a scrawny, puny, human being." Nene admitted shamefully.

I quirked a single brow. "So, you were a child like the rest of us? I don't think anyone thought otherwise."

 _Seems strange to refer to your childhood like that. Then again, this is Nene, and she has no qualms about what or who she calls weak._

Nene sighed, rolling her eyes. "I suppose that's what I mean, moving on," she continued, resting a hand on the hilt of her rapier. "I've lived and breathed the arena life, in a place that you would see as medieval compared to modern day cities. All my life has consisted of rigorous training with a rapier, mastering all manners of fighting techniques, and slaying countless foes in the grand arena, entertaining an immense crowd of blood hungry folks. In order to be victorious in every battle, I had to attain true strength, less I be executed."

"I reckoned as much, you act unlike any other person in a normal society," I said. "Living in an environment like that is a far cry from any experience modern society grants."

"This is my first experience with anyone outside of the arena. As a result, my time down here has been filled with unfamiliarity and uncertainty. You people are vastly different from the often barbaric warriors I've interacted with," Nene said, laying a hand on her shoulder. "To be honest, it's been an intriguing experience, even if I hated it at first."

I gave a dry chuckle. "You certainly despised our very being until recently," I mentioned, shaking my head. "Hell, you even gave Juro some respect yesterday. Tell me, did he get that kiss he desperately wanted?"

She crossed her arms, giving me a judgmental look.. "Must you bring that fool up?" the fencer questioned with a hint of annoyance in her tone.

"Hey, I was just using an example of how you changed," I replied with a shrug of the shoulders.

"To answer your question, Juro kissed the floor instead of my lips," she explained, crossing her arms underneath her breasts then shaking her head. "Nonetheless, he was still determined afterwards."

 _Sucks for him, but, that's par for the course at this point._

"You're the one who indulged in his efforts and gave him hope that he had a chance," I reminded, smirking.

"I'm not regretting the decision, _yet_ ," Nene made sure to assert the key word. "I just won't allow him to earn my affection without making him trudge through hell and back first. To test his resolve so to speak."

"Everything is a competition when it comes to you huh?"

"Of course, there would be no amusement without it," Nene reasoned before turning her head away from me, the cold shoulder. "Anyways, you've exhausted your time with me. You'll have to earn your next bit of my backstory."

"Alright… thanks for uh… offering me insight, despite me not having true strength," I thanked, offering her a wave goodbye, even though she wasn't paying attention. "Seeya."

 _I did not get as much information as I had hoped for. However, I'm not complaining that I got something in the first place. At least now, I fully understand why she has been so cold and judgmental. Hard to imagine a life in some rural city living in the past without technology, and from what I learned. That life is a very rough one. Speaking of rough, I plan on attempting to speak with Masakado. This'll either go terribly or horribly._

* * *

 **-Infirmary-**

"Omezo, greetings," Masakado welcomed me with a thin smile. "I presume that you wish to berate my ear off like everyone else. If so, you are free to go all in, as it certainly would negatively affect me psychologically, ushering me into a state of depression."

"No, that's not my goal, I just want to try to come to a mutual understanding with you," I clarified, my expression turning serious.

"Ah, keep your friends close, and your enemies closer…" Masakado remarked in understanding. "It's a bold move entering a one on one conversation with someone so manipulative as myself."

"Nothing you say will get through to me," I rebutted, deadpanning.

"So you say, I'll just have to take that as a challenge then," Masakado with an unyielding expression.

I shook my head in a vexing manner. "Whatever, if there is a reason, why are you so supportive of all this?"

"You believe that I support this killing game?" Masakado queried, curiously tilting his head to the side.

"From all that you said, and what you convinced Isoyo to do. It gives off that impression well enough," I said, narrowing my pale blue eyes at him.

"I suppose it merits an explanation, although, you will most likely not understand as I've told you before, yet you have forgotten," Masakado began with a dull look. "Our lives simply have no value in this dreadful world we live. Constantly clawing our ways to prosperity after disasters like the Tragedy. Life isn't worth living for if there's only torture in our future. Furthermore, history seems to repeat itself, we recovered from the first tragedy, and rebuilt the academy that helped cause it. Then, the same events befell us once again, creating a Tragedy even worse than the last one. The sole cause being Ultimates, people like us, becoming corrupted by despair and destroying the world, participating in reprehensible and disgusting acts of sex and violence. We are the last ultimates in this world, unaffected by the second Tragedy. The only way to stop history from repeating itself, is to eliminate the root of the problem, _us_. This killing game gives me the opportunity to die a martyr for that cause, therefore, I must encourage you all to follow me."

 _I was not prepared to hear an full on speech like that. The worst part is, I don't know if I can trust every single word, but I have no clue how to separate his lies from his truths. So, I'll just take his speech worth a grain of salt. However, I most certainly disagree with him._

"...T-that's… no, just no," I stammered in disagreement, slashing my hand to the side. "If we are to prevent another Tragedy, that's not the way to go about it. I'm not going to sacrifice myself for your twisted methods, and neither are the others. Additionally, we are not the root of the problem, it's the people who decided to keep this whole Ultimate charade going."

"So you usher the blame onto the Future Foundation?" Masakado asked with genuine astonishment and intrigue. "They did rebuild the academy after all."

"If they are truly the ones responsible for bringing that crap back, and giving me this title of Ultimate Novelist, then yes, I blame them for the second Tragedy, and any that may follow," I contemplated before frowning. "But, none of that is our fault. The reason we are the final ultimates is because we avoided the academy."

 _From what I've gathered so far, I have learned that most of us were not students of that school. Therefore, resulting in us being the final surviving ultimates. If that's not a testament to that theory, than I don't know what is._

"Regardless, we have the title now, we are targets for despair whether we like it or not," Masakado remarked with a sneer. "Therefore, we must shuffle off this mortal coil with the others."

"Fuck you…" I muttered under my breath.

"Just be glad that you haven't needed to deal with my more fiendish side," the cult leader mentioned, widely smirking. "He's much less complying and all the more viscous. Oh how wondrous it is to cope with him..."

I firmly crossed my arms over my chest. "Either way, only you deserve to perish for all the horrors you've most likely committed. None of us will allow you to drag us into your fate,"

"I'll admit that I deserve a cruel fate for the atrocities that have resulted from my life moving on," he acknowledged in a solemn tone. "I lead a dark cult known to sacrifice many individuals, innocent or not, manipulated good souls into committing deplorable acts, and the most aberrant of them all, consuming pineapple pizza with a satisfied smile."

I nodded. "Right, however, I wouldn't resent you for enjoying pineapple on pizza, that's a far cry from everything else you've done," I said, a bit dumbfounded.

"But, does it not ruin the taste? It doesn't belong on pizza right?" Masakado questioned, raising a brow.

"Who the hell cares? Yeah it wasn't meant to be a topping for pizza, it's still delicious in its own right," I countered, rubbing the back of neck in response to this strange topic.

"Hmph, so you agree with me on that. There's our mutual understanding you wanted," he commented with a ridiculing smile.

 _Somehow, he derailed the conversation with pineapple pizza. How did I allow him to do that? I feel like an idiot for even humoring him..._

I frowned in irritation. "That was definitely not what I was aiming for. Although, I guess it's something I can't hate you for," I remarked, rubbing my forehead at the absurdity. "Nonetheless, this doesn't change anything, you're still a scumbag."

"How disappointing, I was hoping we'd forge the beginning of a beautiful friendship between us..." the cult leader lamented in a gloomy tone, disappointment in his expression.

"That'll never happen," I denied before turning to leave. "I'm finished talking with you though."

"Well, I was enjoying this small conversation, it felt less of a lecture then what I'm used to," Masakado mentioned. "However, I won't look forward to another with you and your in-adequateness."

 _Well, I didn't accomplish my goal. But, I now know his motivations, if he was being truthful that is. Surprisingly, that still went better than I expected. We even discussed something that normal people would discuss, pizza, which is still absurd. Maybe it's just a side-effect of the chains he's restricted by. I'll have to try again when he's free, if that ever happens. Anyways, I should go take that shower before the pig blood smell sticks to me._

* * *

 **-Men's locker room-**

Unfortunately for me, Anzai was also in here nor did he seem like he just left the shower.

"Halt right where you stand, you filthy dolt," Anzai demanded with a disgusted look. "I will not have you sullying up the shower room with the stench of a pea brained troglodyte whilst I relax in the heated comfort of hot water."

"I was not planning on sharing a room where we'd both be without clothing with you or anyone for that matter," I defended, tugging at my scarf. "I had thought everyone had taken their overdue shower already, but I guess you had a similar idea to avoid the crowd."

"I'm so very sorry sir, you are already a lost cause," Anzai said in a sympathetic manner, solemnly shaking his head. "Your brain has begun to deteriorate by the Dunderhead Plague, my deepest condolences."

"I'm sorry what?" I asked, completely clueless.

 _Dunderhead Plague, Dunderhead… Plague… nope, not ringing any bells. He's gone off the deep end with this one..._

Anzai clicked his tongue. "Your confusion is a symptom, so my assumption must be correct," the genius stated, he switched to horn rimmed glasses and rose a finger up straight. "Um, *sniffle* Allow me to explain, try not to let this fly in and out of your empty-headed skull. The longer you continue to breathe the same air as all the birdbrained fools in this world, the more their simpleton influence will corrupt your mind, and you will drop in intelligence levels faster than it takes light to fill out a small bedroom."

"I have literally zero clue what the hell you're talking about," I remarked with a addled look. "Whatever this made up disease that you've deluded yourself into believing exists you speak of is. I'm pretty sure my brain is perfectly fine around anyone of varying intelligence."

Anzai now had his sunglasses on as his expression turned furious. "No, ya' ignorant pinhead! Da' Dunderhead Plague is a true as can be infection!" he strongly punched his hand with a clenched fist with gritted teeth. "Am I gonna hafta feed ya' a knuckle sandwich wit' a side of sense to ya bro!?"

I held up my hands defensively. "That would be an unnecessary expenditure of energy on your part, as I'm not afflicted with that so called _disease_ ," I denied, albeit, growing nervous as I spoke. "In fact, I've felt more enlightened than ever in my time with all of you."

 _It's true, I learned something other than how stupid he thinks I am from this man. Too bad it's some fantasy disease he conjured into existence as a result of how arrogant he is._

Anzai was back to his normal glasses/ "Hm~ I shall perform a proper check-up to test your theory…" he informed, pushing up his glasses. He then pressing a finger from both his hands to his the sides of his temple, shutting his eyes in the process. He seemed quite focused on something.

I furrowed my brow in confusion. "Uhhh… what exactly are you trying to accomplish?" I queried while scratching the back of my neck awkwardly.

 _I'm at a loss for words, does he think he's psychic or something? Because, it seems like he's focusing energy into his mind like one._

Anzai's facial features tensed up hard, veins beginning to bulge out. "Hhhhnnnnggghh…" Anzai grunted, then he stopped completely with a sigh. He twisted his medallion around with a thoughtful expression. "Hm~ seems your mind barriers were harder to penetrate with my brain phasers than I had expected… you had been fortunate enough to avoid the surreal affliction so far then."

 _Insanity and geekness confirmed. He's a total dweeb, first the intense role-playing and now this weird thing._

"Are you serious? That was your freaking check-up?" I asked, perplexed.

"You lack insight, but indeed, I am serious, as always," Anzai confirmed with a smug look. "With that, I can safely say that your brain remains safe, therefore, your intelligence levels have risen from 6 percent to 8."

I shook my head in a careless motion. "Marvelous, does that grant me permission to ask a single question then?"

"Ask away~" Anzai sang.

"How do you and your personalities manage to switch to the appropriate glasses for each personality?" I questioned.

He propped his chin on his thumb, holding it high a smile. "Ah~ good question, my sixth sense allows me to predict exactly when the switch in personality will occur," the slate haired boy explained with a cocky smirk. "Something only my superior brain could master of course, I do not expect you to comprehend such a magnificent accomplishment."

"Right, what I don't get, forgive my ignorance, is why someone with a personality disorder is held in a high regard and has a excellent stature in society?" I pried, rubbing my jawline. "You and probably the people who judge your intelligence see imperfections as non efficient and a blemish. Is a disorder not an imperfection?"

"Ignorance unforgiving," Anzai said in an offended tone. "My disorder is less of an imperfection, and more of a testament to my genius mind's capabilities. I am not locked to one measly personality like many other plebeians such as yourself. I exceed on every single front, even personalities, as I have more than one, all of which share the same superior intelligence, quadrupling my levels tenfold! No other mindless fool with the same disorder is capable of obtaining the ability to predict the switches of personality nor do they share the same memories and IQ. Thus, establishing my mind as top of the line in the universe in all categories."

"I suppose you're correct in a way," I agreed, rubbing my jawline with a prying look. "However, the more I think about it, the more I begin to think this isn't a disorder you have, but a ploy to appear above others in every way."

"Enough! I have remained in your presence for far too long," Anzai said with a scornful look. "I must make haste so that I can cleanse myself of all that ails me. Begone!" he forcibly gestured for me to leave with a swish of his hand.

 _So, from that experience, I've learned that Anzai is a complete dweeb, and has his head past the ozone layer, to the point where he believes that intelligence is a disease just to dissociate himself with all other humans. What a nice guy._

I obeyed, for the most part, since, I re-entered the locker room after peeking to see that he had went into the shower room.

I approached the locker that was slightly ajar and gently opened it. Looking inside, there was only a single object of note, a small framed picture. The glass was scratched to all hell so I couldn't see what the picture even was.

 _How peculiar… why is there a framed picture in some random locker in here? Did one of the employees leave it in here before whatever happened to them happened? If that's the case, then why was this locker not ajar when I first searched this room? Someone had either opened it at some point or I just missed it. Maybe I'm too obsessed with detective stories, but I feel like I should take the picture out. As I know that secret messages tend to be on the back of photos and paintings._

Taking out the picture, I was left speechless at what it was. It was Junko Enoshima, posing with a giddy smile and holing out the piece sign. I began to feel a bit queasy as her seemingly innocent eyes stared back at me.

 _Who in their right mind would frame a picture of this monster of a girl? Not to mention, this is a facility created by the Future Foundation, how and why would this be down here? Well, I guess that does not matter too much, considering that we are also participating in a killing game in here, something the FF would never support either. In fact, I would imagine this picture as something to do with the mastermind. Although, they do seem to despise Junko, so them having a framed picture of her is strange. Then again, it's also scratched out…_

I flipped the picture over, and as I was expecting, there was writing on the back in black ink. In quotes, it read " _Search for the one that shares the bloodline, they shall be the next heir to the throne."_

 _I'm not sure what to make of those words. It doesn't explicitly state anything other than a demand. Seeing that this is on the back of an out-of-place picture of Junko, it's possible it's referring to her in some way, such as the throne refers to her title of Ultimate Despair. One thing's for sure, I'd need more detail to make sense out of this. If this does indeed belong to the mastermind, it may be a clue to their goal. I'll be keeping this to myself for now, not like it's important enough to warrant me telling everyone. For all I know, one of us may be the mastermind, and letting them know I found this would possibly put me at risk._

I heard the sound of a mechanical door sliding open, so I quickly pocketed the picture. "What are _you_ doing back in here?!" the unmistakable voice of Anzai exclaimed angrily. "Ugh, no matter, just keep your head facing away from me."

 _That was a surprisingly quick shower._

"Don't worry, I had no plans on peeking one bit," I told him, keeping my face centered on the red lockers in front of me.

"Best remain that way," Anzai commanded. "Not that there's nothing impressive to see."

 _Don't think too much about it, don't think too much about it..._

After waiting a bit for him to change and leave, I decided that I'd take the opportunity to shower like I had originally planned, then I'd head back to my room to hide this picture.

* * *

 **-Omezo's room-**

After taking a rather relaxing, hot shower, I hid the picture between the center pages of my journal.

 _I'm feeling pretty tired right now, more than usual at this time. I have to hit the hay earlier this time. Tomorrow should be a great day, as I have a show to look forward to that'll be quite the spectacle to witness. I want to believe that nothing will go haywire during it, but I just can't be entirely confident. Ugh, I guess I'm not done being pessimistic after all. It'll be fine, we were getting along nicely today, and the motive isn't the most anxiety inducing one. I am curious of that esoteric message on the back of that picture. It has to be a piece to some puzzle, but, I'm not even sure what the completed puzzle even look like… Anyways, I've got to get a long rest in, what better way to prepare yourself for a wonderful day?_

With that, I slumbered into the dreamworld.

* * *

 _ **Monotokage's nonsensical theatre of nonsensical shit**_

 _You know what really grinds my gears? The misuse of words._

 _And I don't mean overly complicated words, just common lingo like edgy and weeb._

 _Both of those words have been puked out constantly by stupid children, misusing them every time, and always as an insult._

 _I mean, come on, edginess isn't always a shitty thing, only when it's handled poorly. I myself am edgy, and I'm a fucking beautiful prodigy!_

 _If some dude is just torturing people for the sake of torturing, then that's poor man's edge. You gotta have a reason, like, you torture people so that they can enjoy pain, one of the grandest emotions that is so complex, it has so many different forms and everyone expresses them in a different manner._

 _The real problem is, kids call everything remotely edgy, edgy as fuck. I could fucking accidentally cut myself, begin to bleed and they'd call that edgy as fuck, as an insult! Blood equals edgy, ew, or "oh, you wear black socks, you edgy fuck!" Screw those damn kids!_

 _Then you have weeb, let me inform you of the definition. A weeb is when some who isn't Japanese, becomes so obsessed with their culture, begins to think they're Japanese. In other words, people who have rooms littered with anime body pillows of their waifus._

 _However, kids call anything Japanese "weeb shit" Even in Japan! With Japanese people! As an insult as usual._

 _So what if I enjoy anime?! I don't fucking delude myself into believing I'm an anime protagonist or antagonist! I just appreciate the animation! That doesn't make me a damn weeb, just someone who respects Japanese animation. Not my fault that Japan is the ruler of that industry._

 _In short, kids are stupid shitheads, and if you use those words like that, than go fuck yourself with a dragon dildo, hope it ruptures your anus, have a good day._

* * *

 **Review response(s):**

 _ThePLOThand: It would if it was explicitly stated. Otherwise, the usual rule is that any three people other than the killer seeing the body at anytime._

 _Katastic Writer: I would love to make that a series, allow me to find some skilled animators and pay them million for it, and I'll make it happen. I don't know man, Leiko's a savant in the bedroom, Kado could not complain after a night with her unless he was lying, which he does all the time, so I guess nobody wins. I am surprised that I am writing the twins as good as I have been, originally, I thought I wouldn't be very good with them. Glad I was wrong, as people seem to love them as much as I do. Happy holidays to you too!_


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